The Coven
by Randi Roo
Summary: Even the eternal life of a vampire has its own little secrets....Read and review, and I'll update as fast as possible! Rated T for language.
1. In the Rain and Darkness

The Coven

Chapter One: In the Rain and Darkness

_Plink!_

_Plink! _

_Plink!_

The sound of rain reverberated off of the metal roof over the picnic tables. Four young women sat, almost statue-like, staring towards the still-swinging tire swing before them. A little girl's body lay crumpled underneath it.

"We're going to be blamed for this, you know," one of them finally spoke aloud, her violet eyes dull, but wide. Dark, nearly black curls framed her face, paling out her already milky complexion. The tallest of the four turned away from the graying child, to sigh sadly, her breath puffing in the chilled air.

"It's not the first time this has happened, Victoria. We'll manage as always," a slightly shorter and thicker girl sniffed towards the body. Her short, light brown hair spiked in a mini-Mohawk defining her from the rest. It shook slightly as she inhaled deeply, fangs sprouting from her canine teeth.

"What do you think you're doing?!" The tallest, who appeared to be the leader, with dark eyes that flashed a metallic golden color, snatched the daring vampire by the throat, forcing her to turn her eyes away from the little girl, and glare back at her with ferocious scarlet eyes.

"I wasn't going to do anything, Elizabeth! It's just the smell…," she trailed off, glancing hungrily back at the body, now turning the mud around her reddish.

"Drinking from the dead is suicide! If your bloodlust is so strong, then return to the manor! We'll clean it up without you!" Elizabeth hissed as she spoke, her shoulder-length blonde hair falling in front of one of her molten eyes.

"You'd send me back, to my room, like a child? I've yet to give in to the thirst in centuries! Why can't I help?" Her fangs receded, the crimson turning more hazel in her irises. The bloodlust apparently overcome just as quickly as it'd started.

Elizabeth gripped tighter for a second longer, then released the young vampire, letting her rub her neck although it hadn't hurt. She clenched her teeth, not blinking away from the seemingly humbled vampire.

"Your moods change like the temperature, Miranda. One moment, you're craving a dead little girl, the next, you whimper at Elizabeth's feet. How can we be sure you won't decide to drink from her after all?" the dark-haired Victoria spoke behind the chastised girl, leaning leisurely back on the old picnic table.

"Quiet. We don't want any stray humans waltzing in on us. We're sitting across from a freshly dead body, with odd colored eyes and pale skin," Elizabeth smoothly stepped into the rain, her hair matting down to her face, "and you, Miranda, may stay, but only if you keep watch."

The previously red-eyed girl sighed and backed into the dense foliage behind them that led all the way up the trails to the main road, doing as she had been ordered. There wasn't even a rustle as she moved like a ghost into it.

Victoria and the remaining girl, with longer deep brown hair than the rest, slowly followed their leader, who was now striding towards the stiffening body. The downpour instantly soaked them, but they didn't flinch or shiver.

They surrounded the little girl, her eyes still wide and her mouth open in terror. Two delicate puncture marks marred her smooth grey neck. Elizabeth frowned, then reached down to grasp the left wrist. As soon as her pale fingers touched the skin, she hissed and snatched her hand back.

"What is it?" Victoria caught the stench of burned, dead flesh coming from the cradled hand of her sister.

"…the little thing has a surprise trinket, ladies," the shortest of the group, with one eye of silver, the other of blue, knelt down and pulled the girl's collar down to reveal a cross haphazardly thrown around her neck. She smiled, pulling her black trench coat closer around her shoulders, murmuring, "…that fool thought this would scare us…"

"Wait, you knew someone left a cross on her and didn't tell us?! She could've been seriously hurt!" Victoria spun to yank slightly on the girl's hair.

"The future's never a sure thing! My visions aren't certain facts, they can change! How was I to have faith in such a small vision? It wasn't even a full act! Just a flashing picture!" The shortest vampire growled deep in her throat, defensive against Victoria. Suddenly she stood up and closed her blue eye, the silver one expanding until her entire eye was solid polished silver.

"Victoria, go warn Miranda. We have a serious threat around here," Elizabeth quickly wrapped her burned hand in a corner of her old-fashioned cloak, tearing it to make a quick bandage.

"What about the body? We can't just leave it here!" The curly-haired vampire hesitated as she glanced at the sickeningly grey little girl. The thought of leaving it to bloat and rot in the mud seemed almost crueler than the act of killing her in the first place.

"…the fool hastens with the help of your wound…its smell beckons like a fire in winter…," the short vampire reopened her eye, letting the silver one shrink to its normal look.

"Elaine's visions of the present are never wrong, as you know, Victoria, so we've not the time to be compassionate! Go!" Elizabeth's hand throbbed painfully under the wrapping, making her wince slightly. She turned to the girl still in front of her, "I need blood, Elaine, where's the closest suitable animal?"

"…not far, but it's in the wrong direction. The Reaper will catch you if you hunt that way," the vampire hissed slowly when she said the reaper's name. The tallest vampire shudder at his mention, and glanced longingly towards the direction of her healing.

"Then I must suffer and wait," Elizabeth pulled her soaking hood up on her head and ran inhumanely fast with Elaine on her heels, silent as the dead. Not so soon however, before Elizabeth imagined a pair of neon yellow eyes appearing out of the forest behind the tire swing. Panic made her run all the faster, Elaine straining to keep up.

BREAK

"We shouldn't have run like little rats from it! Four to one are more than enough!" Miranda vented as the four lounged in a large, comfortable sitting room. Elizabeth was staring out the window, scouring the grounds with her sharp eyes. Victoria was pouring over a large book, a growing stack of already read ones teetering beside her. Elaine sprawled over a chaise covered in thick furs, listening patiently, if inattentively, to Miranda's ramblings.

"We could've gone right to the source! Found out who it is that knows about us!" She ranted on for a while before she realized no one was really listening to her. Growling impatiently, she grumbled, "fine then, I'll just go beat the crap out of the punching bag now."

No one said anything as she left the room, Elaine having finally dozed off, her hair falling in front of her face. Elizabeth gave up trying to find the invisible intruder and swept out of the room, bowing slightly to Victoria, who nodded half-heartedly back. As the door clicked shut, she slammed her book closed, sighing exasperatedly. Elaine cracked her blue eye open and looked curiously at her.

"The knowledge of ages lies in books, but it avails to absolutely nothing when I really need it! Nowhere does it have any information on vampires who touch crosses! Or of having counterparts that can! It's like this killer's just shadows and dust! Constantly staying out of the light of discovery! Argh!" She violently kicked over the stack of books, sending some flying across the room at the seer.

"…maybe you didn't check them all, sister. Some books lay rotting in the dark, on the bottom of the mind…," she flicked away a head-bound book, infuriatingly calm as always.

"Are you suggesting I don't know every nook and cranny of my own library?! Coming from someone who doesn't know half of her mind's workings, that's a bit hypocritical, don't you think?" Victoria lashed out, the lack of finding what she was looking for a slap to her ego, the taunting of her youngest sister only angering her further.

"I know exactly what's in my mind, that's my problem. Everyone else just ignores the part I hear loudest…even immortals pretend it isn't there…," Elaine defended herself, knowing that Victoria was just sulking because her books hadn't had the answer this time.

"Exactly! You hear voices in your head, you have hallucinations, your visions pop in your mind out of nowhere, availing useless information or gives it too late! Sounds like something the humans have medications for! And shrinks!" with another vicious swing, Victoria flung the book she'd been reading at the huge bookshelf behind her. The shelf broke, sending various volumes tumbling in a heap on the floor.

"…I've no reason to explain the Gift to someone who can't understand, or to stand here to listen to the insults of a vampire throwing a temper-tantrum. Good evening, Victoria," and without another word, she strolled out of the room, chin high.

With a huff, the dark-haired vampire tipped the desk over, letting it spill its contents on the already littered floor. About a half-hour passed before she could calm herself enough to go find Elaine and apologize, such was her frustration. She headed for the gym that was built inside recently for Miranda, who had a nasty temper and loads of unspent energy. She and Elaine were particularly close, having shared similar past torments and challenges. Miranda was also the one who'd decided to give Elaine the bite of immortality 400 years ago. Only they knew the circumstances, being unwilling to share it with Elizabeth or Victoria.

"Have you seen Elaine?" Victoria hesitated at the doorway, knowing the intimacy of a vampire's own special space. She rarely even walked the same corridor of this giant room, retching when her sensitive nose caught the scent of sweat and dirt. She wrinkled her nose, and breathed shallowly.

"Shouldn't you have your nose in a book?" Miranda asked, laughing good naturedly, her previous impatience worked away. A thin sheen of sweat covered her body, soaking through her tank and sweats. Victoria had to take a breath before she could speak; the smell was too nauseating to her.

"…ugh… have you seen Elaine? I need to apologize," she managed to choke out. She quickly covered her mouth.

" No, not since my huffy moment," she stretched, knowing that it would intensify her scent, which was obviously disturbing her fellow coven-member. She took a moment to digest the last sentence, and then added, "What happened now?"

"I mocked her Sight, without cause, out of my own disappointment from the lack of information yielded by my books, if you must know," she admitted with a sigh.

"Hmph, that wasn't very nice. Unfortunately, I've no idea where she'd be after being accosted, but I'd be pleased to help. Just let me shower and we'll be off," she shook her now limp hair, salty droplets landing on Victoria, emphasizing her point.

"That's disgusting. Please do! I'd walk ten feet from you if you wandered around like that," she backed away quick, shaking her hands, which had caught most of the dirty misting. Laughing even more buoyantly, Miranda jogged off to the other side of the gym, stripping as she went along. Desperate to leave the foul place, Victoria rushed out, preferring to catch her breath a good twenty feet from the door she'd entered in.

After about fifteen minutes of waiting for her to emerge from the shower, Victoria heard humming coming from nowhere and everywhere. Confused, she looked around, and, seeing no one there, she stood straighter, feigning confidence.

"I know you're there, Miranda. You know I don't like creepy music when no one's around. Come out, or I'll have to fetch Elizabeth. She doesn't tolerate teasing, as you know!" she waited for a second, the humming stopped, then started again, only this time singing nonsense words:

…_Far from thine eyes shall my notes sound like cries_

_But you'll hear and you'll listen to this lullaby_

_Into the ashes, _

_Away from the day_

_Blood will fail as the dawn winks and flashes_

_Drinkers of sin shall whisper and fade_

_Awake must you be, fortune holds the keys_

_Stay in your mind, for others are waiting_

_Into the ashes_

_Away from the day_

_Far from thine eyes shall my notes sound like cries_

_But you'll hear and you'll listen to this lullaby…_

End Chapter


	2. Intruders and Questions

The Coven

Chapter Two: Intruders and Questions

…_Far from thine eyes shall my notes sound like cries_

_But you'll hear and you'll listen to this lullaby_

_Into the ashes, _

_Away from the day_

_Blood will fail as the dawn winks and flashes_

_Drinkers of sin shall whisper and fade_

_Awake must you be, fortune holds the keys_

_Stay in your mind, for others are waiting_

_Into the ashes_

_Away from the day_

_Far from thine eyes shall my notes sound like cries_

_But you'll hear and you'll listen to this lullaby…_

Victoria awoke sharply, Miranda tapping her on the shoulder. She was collapsed on the ground, her head dizzy and unfocused. As soon as she'd sat up and realized what'd happened, she slapped Miranda, who stared in shock, holding her reddened cheek.

"What the hell what that for?!" she protested, backing up a step.

"That wasn't in the least bit amusing! You know I'm scared easily!" she hissed, shame replacing the terror she'd felt crawl up her spine at the memory of the lullaby.

"_What _wasn't amusing? I ran here after I heard you collapse! I'd figured the smell of the gym had gotten to you!" Miranda hissed back, confused as to her companion's panicked expression. She was seriously scared of whatever Victoria believed that she'd done to her.

"You know very well what! Singing that creepy lullaby, and pretending you didn't do it!" A twinge of doubt crossed her mind. The voice hadn't sounded like Miranda. Then again, fear might've blurred her memory. Such things were common from what she'd read.

"I did no such thing! I leave that kind of scaring to Elaine!" Miranda clenched her fists and locked them at her sides. She'd just gotten over her last temper flare.

"Then who the hell did?! No one else bothers to scare me anymore, just you!" The feeling of panic rose a little more in her chest.

"Maybe it was Elaine! You _did_ piss her off, remember? And she knows as well as I your craven nature!"

"She's not the brute that you are!"

"I'm no such thing! I don't beat people up to feel better about myself, that's your job! You should be calling yourself the brute!"

The fighting continued each vampire unable to accept that maybe they were wrong and the other might be right. Unseen in the rafters, a long-haired girl watched in curiosity.

Elaine had been meditating outside in the gardens, away from the house, where the tantrum of Victoria had sounded loudest. The sound of humming had disturbed her, having come from the infamous forest just outside the mansion boundaries. She'd reached out with her mind, feeling the animals' tendrils of thought, and found nothing bigger than a rabbit. As soon as the humming had started, it stopped, leaving the forest dead silent in its wake.

About to get out of the cross-legged position she was in, the humming started again, only it now had words. The same lullaby that Victoria had heard crawled from the dark, freezing Elaine in place.

Again feeling her surroundings with her extra senses, she noticed a small thread of light circling her, slowly closing in on her. Following it with her sensitive silver eye, she noticed a form she'd not seen before. Slightly masculine, it rose and strode toward her, somehow aware it wasn't hidden anymore.

"You must be quite the immortal, sneaking in here unnoticed this long. If you're on a cordial errand, we'd have let you in the front…," entering back into her normal vision, she gasped quietly, immediately recognizing the tall, broad-shouldered form and long, shaggy hair.

"You," she hissed, "so it's not on genial terms you slither in here. What do you want?"

Without hesitation, he waved a hand over her, the expression on his face unreadable. She slumped over and tumbled down her perch, landing belly-up, facing the starless sky as he flashed out of sight, the garden door not quite closing as breezed shut.

Waking up with a headache, Elaine groaned, her memory momentarily foggy. With a start she gasped and rushed inhumanely fast into the mansion, fear increasing her already heightened abilities.

"…doesn't tolerate teasing, you know!" Victoria's voice, shrill and shaky, called from not far ahead of her. The hauntingly familiar lullaby started, but not from a particular place like before. Covering her ears, Elaine jumped from a nearby decorative table onto an open door, to a chandelier, and finally landing on a rafter, wobbling slightly. Victoria suddenly collapsed, hitting the floor with a soft thud. At the same time, Elaine noticed a shadow rush down the corridor. Uncovering her ears, she looked down in time to see Miranda gasp and begin tapping the unconscious vampire.

_Smack!_

"What the hell was that for?!" as the fighting began, Elaine felt a sharp tug at the back of her brain and a vision flashed across her eyes, locking out the fighting that was taking place below her.

Elizabeth was writing in her rooms, the pen the only noise besides the fireplace, which gave off a red glow, making her seem sinister.

"Well now, what do I see here? A vampire who's wounded and not out on the hunt to heal? Why the delay?" The same young man who'd knocked out Elaine stepped into view, coming up right behind the still-writing Elizabeth. The man leaned down and pressed his lips into her soft hair. She quickly slapped him away, standing up, putting her pen down, walked over to the fire, and stood there.

"Why are you here? We've not harmed a single human in two centuries now. The agreement isn't broken," not even turning to face him, her voice growled dangerously in her throat. She obviously recognized this intruder, as Elaine had, but the name escaped her now. _Maybe his lullaby erases memory as well,_ she thought, for although she remembered the scene itself perfectly, and she knew that she'd recognized him, the actual recognition was gone now.

"Maybe not by you, Elizabeth, but it's not just you and your coven that the agreement states you need to control…," his voice faded as the image did, dissolving like water, the real scene below her revealed again behind it.

The fighting hadn't stopped, but it'd calmed down, more of an argument now than an actual fight. Elaine jumped from the rafter, landing squarely in front of them, wobbling a little, her cramped legs protested from the long squat.

"Elaine! Where've you-" they began their interrogations, but were cut off by an urgent hand put up by the seer.

"We've got a bigger problem than petty squabbles now. Elizabeth's conversing with an intruder. I've just seen it," she spat it out, in a hurry to get there before this man had left.

"Intruder?!" Victoria squealed and hissed at the same time. A crimson hue colored her face as she glanced back at Miranda, who had a _told you it wasn't me_ look plastered on her face.

"Alright, let's fly ladies, to Elizabeth's wing!" Miranda left at a breakneck sprint, not bothering to drop the towel she'd still had around her neck. It whipped off and flew past the other two, who quickly followed suite. The wind kicked up by their speed knocked over pots and flowers, leaving a trail of debris behind them.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Elizabeth cried in surprise as the three vampires crashed through her door, hissing and prepared for a fight. She'd been standing by her window, but stormed towards them, infuriated, "and look at my door! You'd better explain yourselves!"

"Who were you just talking to?"

"There's an intruder knocking us out here!"

"Why aren't you harmed?"

Victoria and Miranda battered her with questions, asking them so fast that she didn't have time to answer any one of them. Elaine just stood there, angry, but wise enough to not test Elizabeth at this hour, with her hunger rising from her wounded hand.

"As Elaine should know by now, it was no intruder! At least not one that was actually going to harm us!" She whirled and faced the seer and added, "This is the product of you telling them only half the story, is it not?"

"I only saw a man come in here and confront you, speaking of some agreement! How would I know who it was?!" she searched her mind for that lost recognition, but still found nothing.

"Because you had a vision of me and him the first time we'd met! Is your memory so filled with holes?" she glared back at the two clueless vampires, who glared back, but with less hostility as before.

"My memory's fine! He did something to me though, and I can't recall him…" Defensive for the second time in one evening, Elaine crossed her arms and she frowned at her leader.

"Who is he, Elizabeth? Why haven't you told us before?" Miranda accosted Elizabeth, who sighed and motioned for them to sit down on the bed, "for your own comfort. It's a long story."

Standing in front of them, she sighed again and began it like a fairytale, which it might as well have been.

"It all started with a single glance…"

End Chapter


	3. Elizabeth

The Coven

Chapter 3: Elizabeth

"I was born to the Dark Ages, when humanity was still in its childhood. There was so much we didn't know, and so many who died because they knew it. I wasn't born to a peasant farmer nor a slave or servant to a noble. I was the unfortunate and unwanted daughter of the reigning lord.

The night I was shoved screaming and bloody into the world, he consulted his 'assistants' to determine my future before even seeing me. They were mere charlatans, pretending to know the divine art of fortunetelling, while siphoning of the lord's money and resources. They told him that I was to die early or not at all. Cursed, they called me, for no one lived forever back then, but to die before I could serve my purpose as a woman, wife, mother, and marriage material was an insult in his eyes.

My mother was no better. As soon as she'd recovered from her exhaustion, she only held me for as long as it took for one of the servants to take me from her. I was told later that she was ashamed that she'd given a lowly, cursed daughter to her beloved lord. She never held me again.

It wasn't until I turned seven that I actually even really spent any time with her. By then, she'd had two healthy boys, who gave her greater joy than I ever did. George and Arthur she'd named them, but they were nothing like their namesakes. The youngest, Arthur, was the meanest to me, but it was hard for me to be angry with him for long, for he looked so much like my mother. As much as she detested me, I still saw her as the loving woman I read about secretly in books. The mother I'd wanted her to be.

George, on the other hand, was the kindest. He already knew by the age of three that I was unwanted in our parents' eyes, but he still loved me. He'd bring me new books from the lord's private study when I'd finished the few others I had stashed away and he'd comfort me after I'd been rejected by my mother for the thousandth time. Never did he let me alone when I was feeling melancholy. Never did he hurt me, not even in front of my father, who encouraged it from both of them. 'to be a man, you must teach women their place.' He'd told them, and Arthur obeyed with glee. George was punished many times when he'd refused. I'd bandage him with an attempt at a smile through my own bruises. The only sanctuary of my own hell.

He and I shared a birthday, and when I turned 16, he 14, something terrible, yet not unexpected, happened. The lord called us both to his chambers that evening, in the middle of our feast. The disgust on his face as he looked at the pair of us burned me more than it should have.

'The pair of you are the most disappointing humans I've ever had the displeasure to know. George, you haven't even the strength to enforce your superior right in your own home. How will you handle your own wife when, and if, the time finally comes?'

George sagged his shoulders, having heard similar accusations before. He would not lower his head, however, to this tyrant. The pride that only I knew he had wouldn't let him.

'and you,' my father turned with a glare, 'are no different. Not counting your unfortunate sex and your cursed nature, you're still no prospect for any decent husband. Too smart and with too much attitude. You don't know your place in the world, and I've not the time to teach you.'

A chill creeped up my spine as he straightened and faced us both with the hint of a smirk on his face.

'I know you two are closer than I would like, so I've decided to divide you. Elizabeth, you are to marry the warlord Henry the Strong in the neighboring country before your next birthday. He'll know how to handle one such as you.'

My heart dropped through my stomach as he recited his news. A warlord? Marriage to a brute who's hand was sure to be more brutal than the lord's own silver cane? I was to spend my life catering to a monster, give him pleasure and healthy boy children, then die before my time.

I'd only ever spoken to George and the servants, making me a mute as well in my parents' eyes, but at this obvious banishment, I broke my silence and challenged a man, unheard of in those times.

'Am I such a shameful blot in your life that you must punish me so? He's as likely to kill me as one of the bandits in the forest borders!' I clenched my hands in fists, holding back tears. Like George, I wouldn't reveal such a weakness to the man who'd be sure to punish me with it.

Shock silenced him as his eyes grew the size of saucers. Even George paled beside me, anticipating a beating for such an outburst. Then the rage burned the lord's face, turning it a deep scarlet color. I regretted my tone instantly, but not my words.

'YOU DARE!!' he roared like an animal, while rushing for my throat. George stepped in front of me before he'd grasped it, however. Our father hesitated for only a moment, then began to strangle my only friend and companion in front of me. I then made the second mistake of the evening. I grabbed the back of his coat, yanked him back, and struck my father. With my nails, I'd scratched his cheek, the blood even seeming to hesitate to flow out of even more shock.

'You WILL marry, Elizabeth, and he shall mercifully be the death of you.' He marched out of the room just like that, without a retaliating blow, nor even a shove. It was my turn for shock as I stood frozen and pale, staring at the place where he'd been.

George slowly got off of the ground, as shocked and scared as I, with only slight bruises on his neck to prove the scene had actually occurred. The tears I'd been holding back before flowed unheeded as I realized what I'd done. He immediately pulled me into a hug, his own cheeks wet with tears for me.

'O-o-oh George, w-what've I done?' I managed, whispering in his ear.

He was silent for a moment, his grip turning to iron, locking me in place. I pulled back and stared at him. He usually wasn't so quiet.

'You won't marry him, Elizabeth.' He stated slowly and quietly, as if even the walls were listening in. I must've stared in confusion, for he gripped my arms firmly while still holding me in place. A realization hit me like my father's whips, causing my jaw to drop.

'I'm serious. We'll both go! He won't miss us, might not even look for us, the waste of manpower too much in his eyes for failures like us. I won't let him barter you off like a dress mother no longer favors. And to a savage even among men, even!' his rant scared and fascinated me. Even a life among bandits in the forest was more appealing than this gilded prison.

'I see agreement in your eyes. Shall we?' his excitement surprised me.

'What about you? You're not shunted like me. You've an actual life to leave behind. You'd abandon it for a cursed girl?' I half-expected him to retract his plan. I was too used to being shunned already.

'Of course.' He answered immediately, determination suddenly on his face. I smiled widely with relief. He laughed in his own joy, and lifted me easily up into the air. My long hair fell from its bun, getting in his face and making him put me down.

'When will we leave? Soon, I hope, for father won't hesitate to punish me as quickly and torturously as possible.' Fear of the lord returned and it dampened the mood instantly.

'Tonight. I won't give him the opportunity to hurt you again. We'll head for the monastery, then the forest.' The monastery was a decent day's journey on horseback, and only that well when the weather was good. The forest was a week away from there. So much ground to cover, and all before he decides he wants us after all for punishment? How?

'That's a fair amount of ground to cover, brother. How will we get that far before the lord sends his hounds after us?'

'If we make haste, we'll make the monastery before sundown tomorrow. They'll be able to hide us for a few days at least. By then, we could be anywhere to the lord. He'll have to spread his men around, and with only a few men to worry about, the way to the forest will be easy as can be expected.'

'You've given this quite a bit of thought.'

'I've been wanting to for a while now.'

'Even if we reach the forest, what's to stop the bandits from killing two mere children like us?'

'By the time we reach there, we'll have aged with travel. We'll look older and tougher than they can handle. Even if they do decide to mess with us, we can always join them.'

'Join bandits?! Are you mad?'

'It's only an option. Also, it's the last place he'd expect us to be. He believes us cowards, remember?'

I stopped and thought for a moment. It made sense, but it all sounded too plausible. Nothing in my life had ever been that easy. Life was in itself too complicated with its little twists and turns to allow such a happy ending for us.

'Alright.' He smiled again, grabbed my hand, and ran with me back to the feast. Before entering, he redid his collar to cover the bruises, and he helped re-do my hair. With a deep breath, we re-entered our birthday celebration and played the part of the innocent, perfect children we knew we weren't. Mother even smiled once.

That evening, we were supposed to meet in the gardens, but fate intervened on my part. As I was preparing the bag I was to take with me, a different kind of chill shivered through my spine. I glanced around and noticed that my balcony window was open, the gauzy drapes floating with the wind. I distinctly remembered closing and bolting them shut.

'Who's there?' I called to the dark. A soft chuckle answered me from deep within the shadows. A man stepped forward, but he wasn't human. As you all remember, I'm sure, a vampire has a whole different feel than a human presence. His eyes were white, the pupils staring right through me. I wasn't afraid of him, oddly curious.

"I should've known that I couldn't surprise you. You're too perceptive to be snuck up on," still staring straight at me, stopping not a foot in front of me. I only had to lift my chin slightly to meet his gaze I was already so tall.

"How do you know my name, stranger?"

"Elizabeth, I've come not to entertain your questions, but to present you with an offer," he had a strange accent, obviously not from around those parts, but not so unfamiliar either.

"And I'm not in the habit of entertaining offers from strange men who stalk the darkness in my bedroom in the middle of the night," I answered back with an edge I hoped sounded like brave defiance.

"This isn't an offer I give out freely, dearest," he chuckled again softly, taking my hands in his. I would've snapped them back, but they were fascinating. He was ice cold, yet it didn't chill me to touch him.

"Why offer it to me?" I tried to distract myself from his eyes, staring instead at our hands. He sighed, and lifted my chin, as he would with a child.

"You've yet to see your stamina for more, I see. You must see that you're not meant for this life, though. It's hard to ignore such signs," he stared at me as if trying to coerce whatever I was supposed to see into light.

"I know that I'll be no wife or mother if I have any choice in the matter. That's not altogether unusual though. Many women choose abstinence," I bite my lip as soon as I'd said this. I'd not meant to tell him so much.

"But it's not abstinence you yearn for," he finished my thought.

I shook my head, closing my eyes. How did this man know everything about me, things even George wasn't privy to?

"I'll make you a deal, seeing as you aren't properly ready for my proposal yet," he stated suddenly. He stepped back away from me, keeping his grip on my hands.

"Deal?"

"In two years, I'll come again, no matter where you are. You'll answer me then."

"Two years? Why two? And how will you know where I am then?"

"Any more than two, and you'll be too old for this. I'm no mortal man, Elizabeth, and in two years, you may not be a mortal woman anymore," without another word, he flashed out of my window, faster than anything I'd ever seen. I ran to the balcony, but there was no one below or above, just soldiers patrolling below.

I ran away with my brother as planned. We even made it all the way to the forest. After a mere week, bandits found us, but instead of killing us, liked I'd feared, they assimilated us into their 'family', many of them runaways like us. We learned much, George and I. We were still better as a team than alone, however, but this was used to the advantage many times when a stray coach stumbled through our territories. I even shared a kiss with one of the archers, who'd become friends with us the fastest. I never truly forgot the stranger though. This caused my eventual separation from the young man, who left soon after.

The two year mark drew near and I grew more and more anxious. I wondered what the man would offer, and if he'd even remember me as he said he would. George worried that I'd become sick, but he had different responsibilities than I, so we hardly saw each other for a while. The night of the full moon, and my birthday, the stranger came again.

"You're still radiant after two years, Elizabeth," he stepped from behind a tree, startling me. I'd never missed a sound on patrols in two years and this man'd managed to surprise me nonetheless.

"Flattery isn't something I need right now, stranger," I smiled, surprised that I was actually glad he was there.

"But it's nice to hear anyways," he added, smiling back at me, "I trust you haven't forgotten our little deal?"

"I'd have run you through by now if I had," I answered, continuing to walk towards the little silver lake not far from there.

"True enough, and will you listen as I offer?" he cut me off and blocked me off from the path in front of us. His eyes hadn't lost their intensity over two years.

"I can promise you that much, if you'll only give me your name, stranger. It'd be one less mystery on my mind," I teased, stepping around him to walk further.

"I've changed my name quite a few times, but the one I'm using these days is Michael," he answered falling into step with me.

"Michael," I murmured, finally arriving at the lake. I sighed and added, "so what is this huge mysterious offer you keep teasing me with?"

"In order to tell you, I must ask if you believe in immortaliy."

"Yes. Heroes and legends and kings are immortal in the hearts of their people. They never die like millions of others."

"What if I could offer a different kind of immortality?" he stared intently at me, gauging my reaction.

"What other kind is there?"

"A vampire is immortal," he stated, still watching me.

"Vampires? As in the blood-thirsty monsters we're told of in stories? How would you propose to find one to turn me immortal? If you yourself aren't one, that is," I accepted wholly the fact that Michael was an immortal. He was just that sort, and so was I, apparently. The thirst for blood was only a small price to never die, and to have eternal power. Over tyrants, men, and my own life.

"You still surprise me with your perception. Yes, I am a vampire. One of the oldest known, I believe. And that title comes with eternal loneliness through the centuries," a sadness crept into his voice, and I had an urge to comfort and hold him.

"Why would I be a good vampire? I'm hardly seductive or mad like the vampires of history and stories," I watched his expression come back together, his smile returning.

"How would you not be? I've yet to meet a woman with more of the traits of the original vampires than you. Do you realize how few vampires actually make their first century? They're too attached to their ages, too stuck," he spoke as if to himself now, staring across the brilliant lake.

"And I would be different?"

"You already are, dearest."

"And you intend me to spend eternity with you?" I made him turn and smile expectantly at me.

"Yes. I know you're against companionship with a man, but I'm no man, as I've said before."

I was silent for a moment. Life wouldn't be so unbearable if I had Michael around to brighten it with a smile. But George's face appeared to tear through that dream, "I would actually like to spend it with you, but I've too much to leave behind."

"No you don't. He's not yours to have forever Elizabeth. He's in love, and he'll leave eventually, forgetting you. Yes, he might think of you in spare moments, but he'd have more important things to care for."

His words stung, and as he said them, I realized it was true. He wasn't mine to horde for my meager life. I had a whole new life of my own to seize.

"I care for you, dearest. I'll not forget you even if you refuse," Michael added, gently grabbing my hand in his.

"And I don't refuse," I answered with sudden surety. Even if Michael and I didn't work out, there were be ages to wait for another family of my own.

He smiled his widest smile yet, his fangs visible for the first time to me, gleaming white in the moonlight, "I'll return tomorrow night. You deserve to see your last sunset and say goodbyes."

"You're a tease," I commented, "telling me you care for me only to abandon me for another night."

"You'll appreciate this chance before long, love," he kissed my cheek and disappeared as before, leaving me to think by myself.

_**-Break-**_

"And you know the rest, I hope," Elizabeth broke off her story, watching her new family rise from their enraptured stances. She'd never told them of Michael or her human life before, though she had told them of her early days as a vampire.

"You still didn't tell us about the man you made a deal with," Miranda persisted, Elizabeth's story not enough for her.

"I did, even if I didn't say it in those words exactly."

"You mean?" Victoria gasped

"Michael, yes," Elaine spoke up from the far end of the bed she'd been lounging on.

"You knew about Michael? Why didn't you warn us?!" Miranda stood up in a huff, fists clenched, "I wouldn't have been so goddamn worried! I thought we had an invader!"

"I knew of him, but I'd never met the man myself," she explained, "I'd recognized him from Elizabeth's mind's eye. That's not exactly a clear picture."

"You said that he was and intruder!"

"He did intrude, or did you forget? He knocked Victoria and me out," she explained coolly, checking her nails calmly.

"Calm down, all of you. I think we've heard enough for tonight. I'll tell you of our actual deal later, when you're all rested and ready for it. It's early and we need to retire for the day," Elizabeth reminded everyone, causing them to glance instinctively out the darkened window, the gray dawn just beginning to peek behind the distant hills.

"She's right. We must rest now," Victoria finalized the conversation, and everyone left to sleep in their beds under the mansion, safe from the sun. Only Elizabeth slept above ground during the day, in her eternally darkened bedroom. She stared for as long as she could possibly stand out across the grounds. With a sigh, she slept as the others did.


	4. In a Dream

The Coven

Chapter 4: In a Dream...

Elaine dreamt. For the first time in years, she saw not a vision in front of her while she slept, but her own past. One she knew all too well. A Circus was erected in amazing speed around her, and people rushed in.

"Move yer ass, witch! People are waitin' fer their fortunes, and I'm waitin fer their money! Git to yer booth! Now!" the fat owner screamed at her, his face already purple.

"I'm gettin' there, ya fat lech!" she screamed back. She covered her own mouth in surprise. She hadn't meant to say anything, but she was reliving her life all over again, mistakes and all. She was wearing her old gypsy attire, complete with the scarves and bangles that jangled with her every movement.

"Talk to me like that again, harpy, and I'll throw ye out into the real world! You know they'd burn ye on a stake like the witch ye are!!" he stomped off, probably to hamper some other performer.

Turning in a huff, she marched to her overly decorated booth. It stank of incense, and her eyes watered as she entered. As much as she hated the circus, she loved the other performers and her booth. It calmed her to pretend that her gift was something special to the normal people they serviced.

A group of giggly and flush-faced girls entered, obviously drunk. They plopped down heavily at the table in the center of the room, falling over each other for a seat. Sighing to herself, she sat with a flourish on the opposite side.

"Good evening, ladies. I am Madame Elaine," she spoke with a thick accent, and the girls' eyes widened. They never expected a fortune-teller so young. Nor lacking the repulsiveness they'd been lead to believe. Her chocolate brown hair was let loose in front of her shoulders for effect and her eyes were an ice blue, staring straight at them.

"We want our fortunes told! Here!" the bravest of the girls tossed two gold coins on the table. Elaine snatched them without thinking.

"Which of you beautiful girls is to be first?" she watched them argue amongst themselves, the brave one eventually being the one chosen. Elaine began her fake ritual. The owner demanded she make a show of it every time, even though she didn't need to do anything to receive a vision. They just came to her.

"These cards will tell me your future, my dear," she crowed, pulling a tarot deck out from under the table. They were overly designed, like her surroundings, but then again, people preferred to be dazzled than told the truth.

As she let the girl shuffle the cards, she concentrated on her, trying to get at least a picture. Visions couldn't be called, but they could be encouraged with fierce concentration and talent. A faint image swam before her.

"…the past….the present…the future," she told the girl as she laid three cards down, face up. She hardly even looked at them. She never trusted the cards.

"You're to be married," she stated suddenly. The girl gasped and covered her mouth, as if she hadn't meant to betray her surprise. Elaine smiled to herself and added, "You don't love him, for you already have a sweetheart. You're wedding's on fire. Beware his eyes, my dear."

She fainted and the other girls froze mid-giggle. Most people assumed they'd be told a bunch of lies about true love, wealth, and good fortune to soon come their way. No one ever expected a true fortune to be told. That's not what they paid for.

"Witch! Stay Away!" They cried as they carried their friend away. People peeked in to see the supposed 'witch' and snorted in disbelief at Elaine. She pulled out the gold she'd snatched earlier, and stared at the face stamped on the side.

"Hmph, the king must love his face to put it on display even on currency," she mumbled, unaware that outside, the noises had quieted down. A man stepped inside with a woman, both unreasonably pale and tall. Elaine didn't even have to turn around to know they were there.

"If ya want yer fortunes told, you'll have to sit in front o' me, my lord an' lady," she stated, her normal accent coming back to her voice. They walked smoothly around her and sat elegantly in the chairs before her. She shivered at their collective presence. They sat unnaturally still, their oddly colored eyes trying to penetrate her mind. She smirked.

"My mind is like a wall ya can' break down, and I've no tendency to let it down fer vampires."

The girl smiled at her statement, amused at Elaine's senses. The man only stayed frozen in place. He tossed a bag on the table, full of clinking coins.

"We need you to locate a certain one of our kind," he growled, obviously not wanting to be there among the incense and trinkets. The woman nudged him and added, "If you please. It's rather important to us." She had brilliant dark eyes, which smiled warmly at Elaine.

"Firs', I want yer names. I don't deal with people in sucha waya without knowing who I'm seeing fer," she snatched the bag out of habit anyways, counting the coins inside by feeling it. A solid 30 coins at least.

"I am Elizabeth. This grumpy man beside me is Michael," she chuckled as the man grunted at her, not liking her adjective. She also looked at her and said, "And you're Elaine, the seer we've heard about. I hope for our sake your visions are real."

"I'm truer than you'll see round these parts aways," Elaine reassured her. This couple was already and interesting picture. Two vampires in search of another, when they were really a solitary creature to begin with? Most curious.

"I don't know her name, but Michael was her maestra. That means he was the one who turned her. He won't tell me why, but she's about to be in some trouble and if she does, then it threatens us somehow. She's not very old," Elizabeth prattled on while Michael melted into the shadows.

After a moment, Elaine got a vision. A dark-haired girl, a short-haired one, Elizabeth, and herself were sitting in the rain, staring at something grisly off her vision's span. They were all pale, with vibrant eyes and strange clothes, they stood close as if they knew one another. Then the scene flashed to a battle, the previous four fighting side by side against two enemies, both in shadows. They were both obviously male, but she couldn't focus on one long enough to get any details. She gasped and was back in her booth, Elizabeth staring raptly at her. She knew what had just transpired.

"I…don'…," Elaine stuttered for the first time in front of a customer, unsure of how to describe her vision. Elizabeth just raised her hand in silence.

"Did you see another vampire?" she asked. Elaine nodded.

"More than one?"

Another nod.

"Me?"

Nod.

"Michael?"

A shake of her head.

"How many?"

"Four. In a group. Jus sitting at firs', but then they were fightin' someone. Two people. I couldn't tell who," Elaine spoke calmly, even though her hands were shaking under the table. She never got visions that intense, with her in the vision, not apart from it.

"I see," Elizabeth frowned to herself, her long blonde hair falling in front of her shoulders. She sighed and stood, her cloak rustling slightly with her movements.

"I'm sorry for the disappointment. I don't choose the visions, ya know?" Elaine mumbled to Elizabeth, suddenly sorry for not pleasing her.

"I don't understand the Gift you posses, but I respect it all the same. The disappointment lies in our misfortune of being unable to find this vampire. She's as mysterious as our condition. I apologize for the intrusion," with a half-wave, she left, followed by the other vampire, leaving Elaine alone. The noises outside returned, and they grated against her ears, making her wince.

The night proceeded as usual, with a few drunks wanting to see the witch of the circus. At the end of it, she turned in the money to the cranky owner, who counted it meticulously. She only kept the bag from the vampire couple, stowing it under her skirt, where the owner wouldn't dare check.

As she lay down to sleep in her booth, now cleared of most the trinkets, the incense burned out in a pile of ash on the table, she thought again of the couple. She'd sense a small sadness coming from Elizabeth as she'd left. What disturbed Elaine the most was that she'd seen herself as one of them. The pale skin and bright eyes, plus the frozen marble stance they all had, they all indicated the unnatural. The fight also had seemed unreal, epic even. They'd all moved so fast!

"I hope she finds 'er vampire," she mumbled as she finally drifted off. That was the first night she never had a dream. And it would continue to not have them for a century.

Elaine awoke from her sleep, her coffin slightly open. Miranda was sitting outside it in the darkest shadow, snoring softly in a chair. Elaine sat up, opening her bed all the way. The noise awoke her companion, for she started awake with a snort.

"Why are you watching me like a hawk, maestra?" she chuckled. Miranda cleared he throat and straightened in her seat.

"You haven't called me that in a long time, Elaine," she commented, after a pause, she added, "you cried out in your sleep. I heard you and worried, so I came down here to check on you. When you turned out to be fine, I stayed down here to keep it that way. You're too jumpy," she smiled despite herself at Elaine's hair. In her sleep, she'd mussed it to the point where some of it knotted in the back, sticking almost straight out.

"How decent of you. What time is it?" Elaine groaned as she discovered the nest in her hair. The one trouble of having such long hair, she thought.

"8:30, but I wouldn't go upstairs yet. It's still light enough that we'd get hurt," Miranda stretched like a cat, yawning involuntarily.

"What do you think of Elizabeth's Michael?" Elaine asked suddenly.

"Well, from her story, I'd guess he was her companion for a while, and a devoted, lonely vampire, but then, I wonder, why isn't he here now?"

"Exactly. She'd split with him before finding us again. What happened? And why was he here again yesterday?" Elaine asked this more to herself. Miranda knew this, so she stayed quiet. They felt the heat of the summer day above them finally fade safely away after about another half-hour. They ventured upstairs to run into Elizabeth herself.

"Good evening ladies, rested well, I hope?" She smiled as if nothing had changed.

"I dreamed for once in a long while, and it was about the first time we met," Elaine admitted. No reason to not to.

"How odd. So did I," she answered, a sad smile entering her voice as she added, "it was the last time I was ever truly happy with Michael. He and I had a disagreement not long after that," seeing Miranda's inquisitive glance, she added, "I'll tell you about it some other time."

"I didn't dream at all, as usual," Miranda interjected.

"It's a sad condition that all vampires suffer from, along with the thirst. Not a bad thing to lose, if you ask me. Dreams tend to haunt those who have them," Elizabeth had a sudden edge to her voice.

"I take it that in your human life, you had some of those haunting ones?" Miranda laughed, putting her arm around her maestra," don't feel too bad. Most of our kind has had those kind of dreams at some point or another. That's part of the reason why we turn."

"Not helping, Miranda. Elizabeth, you need to feed soon," Elaine changed the subject, not wanting to discuss dreams at the moment anymore.

"Maybe we should all feed. It's been a tad too long anyways. How about tonight?" Elizabeth self-consciously cradled her injured arm.  
"The sooner the better," Miranda chirped, happy about another hunt.

"There's a pack of wolves about a mile away, plus a herd of deer not far from that," Elaine smiled herself. The thirst was the first thing she'd accepted about vampirism long ago. Deer was her favorite.

"Ooh, wolves! That's rare!" Miranda was even more enthused now. Her favorite was the fast and dangerous animals.

"We'd better fetch Victoria then. Miranda?" Elizabeth questioned her with a single look.

"Oh no, not me! She slapped me last night! For no good reason! Elaine," Miranda pleaded, pouting her lip for effect.

"Fine," she sighed, "if you're going to be a child about it, I might as well let her apologize to me like she'd wanted to last night." With a flourish, she stepped towards the library.

"I am not acting childish! She's volatile, that one!" Miranda defended herself, her voice following Elaine anyway. She only shrugged to show she'd heard her at all.

"You do act like a child at times, but its part of your charm," Elizabeth took her arm and led her towards the garden, "how about we take a walk? It's been a while since I've heard your story, Miranda."

"And for a good reason, it's not very interesting compared to your dramatic past. Or Elaine's. Or Victoria's for that matter," She shrugged as Elizabeth led her out the door.

"Humor me," she simply stated. She knew that Miranda needed to remember it as much as she herself had needed to remember Michael the night before.

"Alright. You already know how I became a vampire, duh, but did I ever tell you about before that?"

"No. You only tell us about what adventures you went on before you joined the coven. As a vampire. Never about your human life, I'm afraid," Elizabeth smiled. It was easy enough to distract herself from thoughts of Michael by listening to one of her family's stories.

"I'll start like you did, shall I? I was born a long time ago, before America had fought for independence. And what a life I'd led…"

End Chapter


	5. Flashback Finale

The Coven

Chapter 5: Flashback Finale

I never knew my birth parents. They'd abandoned me long before I could fend for myself. A sympathetic old maid took me in and raised me as best she could. We still went without many things, like toys, light, heat, and sometimes, medicine and food.

As she grew older and weaker, I took to thieving from pompous nobles who deigned to pass through their own countries. They never missed their treasures.

"My daughter, how do you come by the means to spoil a crone like me?" She asked one evening, while we froze by the meager hearth with only a few twigs to warm us. I knew this would come eventually, but I still stiffened in embarrassment.

"I…I borrow from friends. They didn't need those things anyway," I tried to stammer out a decent lie, but it fell flat in front of me. She always saw through me with her now-blind eyes.

"Ooooh, such nonsense," she creaked to a stand and hobbled to poke the flames. No more heat could be coaxed from them, however, so she fell back down on her old chair. I quickly covered her in all the blankets we owned but for the one I wore on my own back.

"I'm sorry, mother, but I didn't see any other option. It's not like we have much of a choice anymore. No one will hire a girl for a decent wage, and any other job pays too little," I reasoned. No one knew the sting of poverty like the dear old woman before me. She'd seen her true love die before her, lost her sons and daughter to sickness and slave merchants, and she'd had to find her own way until me.

"The trouble of being a woman, I suppose," she croaked. She was tired, but wouldn't go to sleep until me, making sure I stayed healthy and rested.

"Mother, you need sleep. Your old bones are creaking so loud that the village blacksmith must be able to hear them," I joked. I needed her in bed so I could go outside without worrying her.

The quiet of that night didn't bother me until I reached the point where I realized that I wasn't alone. Even the amazingly loud insects had ceased their symphonies. Then a chill ran up my spine. I turned to run, and you were standing right in front of me, bent in pain, shaking slightly.

"W-who are you? You lost?" I whispered, afraid to frighten you off. You nodded slightly before stumbling to the ground, clutching your neck. It was then I noticed the many wounds.

I went to examine them, but you gave out an unearthly hiss and backed away from me like a rabbit, cowering against a tree. Your eyes were a metallic gold, and blood trailed from your mouth. I stepped forward still, stubbornly trying to reach your injuries.

"S-stay away from me, human. I might hurt you…," you managed in a low growl, still trying to back away from me.

"I'm not scared of you. You're too wounded to harm me," I managed to clutch a piece of the black velvet cloak you wore. Pieces of it were torn off.

"Obviously you've not dealt with vampires before. We're even more dangerous when wounded. Like animals," you spat. With a jerk of my hand, I prevented you from backing away further, grabbing one of you're hands. As you knew then, they were ice cold to the touch.

"My god, are you so wounded that you're going mad? Vampires don't exist," I froze as you chuckled, and that chuckle grew to a mocking laugh, which quickly ceded to coughing. The deep crimson of blood spattered the ground. I didn't notice it, for I'd seen the fangs. One of the marks for the vampire.

Before I could react further, you leapt at me, fangs almost sinking into my arm. As soon as I'd taken a step back, however, you collapsed finally, slumping to the ground. The blood loss had finally taken over.

"We need to get you bandaged," I muttered under my breath. With a heave, I managed to get you over my shoulders. I could feel your blood begin to already run down my arms, so I practically sprinted to the hut.

"Mother, wake up!" I practically screamed at her as she slowly woke up. I rummaged the room for spare clothes, padding, anything to serve for a bed. Next, I ripped up a shirt to make bandages.

"Who's this? What in heaven's name happened?!" she gasped at the sight of a bloody, beautiful woman the color of snow in the middle of her house.

"I don't know! I found her in the woods already wounded! Clean and bandage her while I go find herbs!" I ran frantically outside, snatching at what I hope were the right plants, for it was hard to see well in the dark. When I came back in, mother had managed to clean most of your wounds, and you already seemed less pale.

"Here, I think these are the right ones," I shoved the green mass at mother, who sniffed cautiously at them. She didn't find any fault I suppose, for she immediately began making a poultice for you.

The night wore on and you were eventually bandaged and cleaned. Mother even brushed your hair. I stayed up even after she went back to bed, snoring soon.

"Where am I?" I woke from my sleep with you sitting up and staring straight at me. I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep. You're eyes weren't golden anymore, also.

"My home. You fainted in the woods, remember? I carried you here, you're safe."

"I'm not safe. Morning is almost here and there's no place where I can spend the day in safety anywhere near here. You saved no one," you responded.

"You're a real vampire aren't you? I didn't think they existed," I whispered, as if mother could hear me in her sleep. The near attack in the woods had convinced me, but I wasn't about to tell mother that.

"Yes and yes they do. I'm about 500 now. Normally I don't let humans see me, but I needed to find out where I was. I still do," you started intently at me, gauging my reaction, testing to see if I really believed you.

"So is that really old for a vampire?" I kept the conversation going, afraid what might happen if we stopped. Vampires needed blood, and you'd just lost an amazing amount of it. I probably looked pretty tasty to you at that moment.

"Yes. Most are killed before a few centuries. There's only one older than me that I know of and we're not exactly talking right now," you hissed under your breath at mentioning who I can only assume now was Michael.

"Is he the one who did this to you?"

"Yes. An argument between vampires of our stature rarely ends otherwise. He's never left me before, though," a slight hint of worry entered your voice then.

"Does he care for you?" I asked quietly, worried myself about my curiosity and if you might not take kindly to it.

"I used to think so. Now I'm not sure at all…," a sad smile passed over your face, but you quickly changed it to anger, "not that I care for him anymore anyway. He's no longer mine."

"Should I ask why?"

"No."

"Alright, I guess. As for the sunlight thing, I have a secret cave nearby. Maybe you could stick around a bit? I never get to talk to people my own age, and never with a vampire," I mumbled, casting my eyes down. I was embarrassed easily and for some reason didn't want too seem too emotional.

"I suppose I must. I admit, you too are a curious oddity. Rarely do humans find us anything other than horrifying," a true smile sparked for a moment then.

"Well drinking their blood certainly doesn't help."

"I don't drink human blood, though I probably should. It makes me heal faster," you stated calmly.

"No human blood? Isn't that kind of necessary?"

"Just blood. I live off of animals, much to my former companion's chagrin. He thinks we should feed off of humans just to indicate our own superiority. I never agreed. Life, to me, isn't something to be taken by ones such as us."

"Well that's a relief for me, I guess. Maybe we should head for that cave now?" I glanced outside at the just-visible sunrise, which was already graying the eastern sky.

"With haste."

As you already know, you spent a solid month in that cave, visiting me at night with my mother. I loved the knowledge that you didn't drink from humans. I lessened any fear I might've had of you. Of course, fate had to spit on those days eventually, as is the way of all things pleasant.

On my way back from walking you back to the cave, I got a sudden, shocked and terrified feeling. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and once again, the noises of the woods had been silenced. With a soft rustle, you were there by my side again, a furious expression plastered on your face.

"What's goin-"

"Shh!"

I dropped my jaw at the abruptness of your voice. You were always so soft-spoken, that the razor edge in your voice now scared me more than the gut-feeling I had. All of a sudden it hit me.

"Mother!" I sprinted to the hut, screaming for her. I rushed into the room to find only broken pottery and splintered wood everywhere. Without another chance to yell for her, you grabbed and pinned me against the wall with a thud.

"I said 'shh!' for a reason, Miranda! Now shut up and be quiet! He's not gone yet!" you whispered harshly to me, holding me in place even through my frantic squirming. As soon as I'd managed to quiet down a little, I heard a soft rustling from outside. Then an immediately recognizable wheeze from mother sounded as she tried to fend off the invisible enemy.

"Oh, Elizabeth…," a young man's voice hissed your name in sing-song, taunting you with my mother's struggles. They grew more and more feeble as the seconds ticked by. You didn't even flinch, while I grew more wild, trying to push you off and run out the door. He seemed so close.

"You won't defend you're new family? And here I thought you loved your precious humans," he chuckled and I flailed even more. He was slowly killing her, and I couldn't do anything until you released me.

"Stay here," you hissed in my ear, so quiet, I almost couldn't hear you. Then, you released me and ran out the door, and it slammed shut after you. I tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. I could only listen as this monster continued to taunt you.

"Release her. Please," you pleaded. Mother gasped as he tightened his grip on her.

"And let you prevent me from another meal? I think not. You need to understand, Elizabeth. Understand what humans must be to us," and without another word, I heard a sickening sound as he dug his fangs in my mother. I began crying silently, not letting him know I was here like you'd meant to do.

"No! Monster!" I heard you yell animal-like as you dived for her. He must've dropped her and stepped away, for I heard the soft thud of a body falling near the door, and an evil laugh from a bit farther away.

"If I'm a monster, than what're you? Feeding off of animals like a savage. We're meant for more, and I know you love the feeling that human blood gives you. The power and control," he seemed almost accusatory towards you, which seemed to anger you even more, for there was a sudden slicing sound, and he let out a surprised gasp.

"I value life, unlike you. And companionship, and friendship. You enchanted me once with your lifestyle, and now I only see a murderer and a liar. If you want to live to see the end of days, I suggest you leave now," the coldness in your voice made even me freeze in fear. I didn't even know what expression you had to go with it, but it must've been convincing, for he fell silent for a moment.

"I value companionship, the same as you. I'm not the monster you think me to be," he was much quieter now. You softened a little too, apparently, for your voice wasn't so harsh the next time you spoke.

"I don't know who you are anymore, and it scares me. I want you to leave. And don't come back anymore," you sounded almost in tears as his anger flared up again.

"I'll leave for now, Elizabeth. And you will miss me. I'll return when you've seen sense," with a whoosh, the wood fell silent again. I heard you hit the ground again with your knees, and I couldn't stand hiding anymore.

With a well-place heave, I broke the door open by its hinges, falling forward into the late night. You sat facing away from me, my mother's body lying awkwardly between us. The sight sickened me so much I heaved my stomach onto the ground away from her.

"He was my one love. The one I'd died and come back for. And I was so easily fooled by him. Blinded," you finally spoke after I'd crawled to your side, almost as pale as you from my own tears and grief. Tears marked your own cheeks, as dark as tar in the night, and just as slow.

"What becomes of me now? I've nowhere to go," I mumbled into my own shirt as I wiped away my own tears. I couldn't even turn around to look at the unblinking eyes of the dead woman who'd raised me. She'd never see through my lies, nor comfort me in grief again. It was tearing me apart.

"I can offer a way out. A home with no walls or boundaries," you said quietly, as if you were afraid of what you were saying.

"You mean turning me into a vampire?" I turned to look at you, and you were staring at the ground blankly, the tears still sliding down your face.

"Yes. You have nor a home or a family, the same as me. We can create one of our own, but I don't want to condemn you to this life," you put your face in your hands, a sob shaking your shoulders as I thought for a moment. It was a true statement, and I could find no reason not to agree.

"It's no more a damning than leaving me here to rot the rest of my life, scared of my own death," this made you look up, eyes puffy, cheeks red. Only then I noticed that you had blood on your hands, from wounding the vampire.

"It is, isn't it? Still, I won't turn you because I want a home for myself. You need to want it too," you grew serious and still, staring once again at me.

"Being a vampire won't be so bad," I managed a chuckle through the depression, adding, "power, immortality, and let's not forget each other. Family is worth even having to never see the sun again and to drink blood to survive. And I want a family."

"Good. I'm glad you accept. Loneliness is one of the many plagues of vampires. You'll never know that pain," you leaned closer as I held up a hand for a last minute comment.

"Will it hurt? Because I can't handle pain very well, I hope you know."

"You won't feel a thing," you laughed softly as your fangs sank into my hand.

**Break**

"…and I haven't looked back since," Miranda finished. She wiped away a tear that had unwittingly leaked out from the memory.

"I'm surprised you didn't regret the decision, Miranda. I know that first while was a hard lesson. The woods is hardly the place for decent meals," Elizabeth still had her arm around Miranda's, and she gripped tighter as her creation had mentioned Michael.

"And I'm shocked you didn't cut the circulation from my arm when I told of Michael's little 'threat'," she retorted.

"Any mention of him puts me on edge. We parted badly, and it didn't get any better until yesterday," she half told herself, looking across the garden and into the forest.

"Hello?! Are we leaving yet?!" Victoria's voice rang out from the house, cutting into the reminiscent moment. She was wearing form-fitting jeans and a tight tank with her hair pulled back today. Miranda just let out a snort as she came within earshot.

"What?" she glared at her defensively.

"Nothing. It's just I didn't realize there were cute boys out in the forest. Why are you all 'dressed to impress?' We hardly see anyone out there, ever," she laughed, her grief forgotten once again.

"I am not! I just threw this on!"

"Yeah, and I'm a bunny looking for a carrot in here!"

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to dress up a little once in a while yourself!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as the bickering continued. Elaine rustled up beside her in her usual capris and gauzy top. She still loved her gypsy ways, even if she'd left it behind a long time ago.

"Shall we leave them?" She questioned, her eyebrow lifting slightly.

"Alright. Maybe they'll notice within a half-hour this time," Elizabeth smiled.

And they sped off, leaving the two bickering for a couple of minutes. When they finally noticed, they raced off also; unaware that two pairs of eyes had followed them away.

"Dear Elizabeth, your peace isn't safe after all," Michael sighed.

End Chapter


	6. On the Hunt

The Coven

Chapter 6: On the Hunt

The forest was as quiet as it was dark. This didn't bother the coven, who raced along without a single whisper of leaves to indicate their passing. They were used to the strange circumstances that surrounded a vampire's existence.

"Who's willing to bet Elizabeth gets the first kill again?" Miranda managed a chuckle in the dark. It was always such a somber mood in the beginning of a hunt. The memory of why they had to hunt like this at all sobered them.

"She always gets the first kill, idiot," Victoria breathed behind her. She always was the slower runner, coming up just short of everyone else. Elizabeth was the fastest, but she never went as fast as she could. Elaine always trailed within a foot of her heels, determined to prove that although she was the youngest, it didn't mean she was the weakest. Victoria pointed out, "the maestra always does. It's an unwritten rule, don't you remember?"

"Yeah, but no one's here to enforce said rule, now are they?" she smirked mischievously.

"Don't you dare. Elizabeth deserves more respect than that. Without her, you wouldn't be here! You'd have rotted in the ground, forgotten and alone!" Victoria spat.

"Who poked you with a stake this morning? You don't have to get nasty!" Miranda jeered.

With a sigh, Victoria looked away, "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"I was just kidding! Something actually happened?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

An awkward silence followed as each girl thought to themselves. Their introspection was cut off when Elizabeth, still in the lead, motioned for them to stop. With identical skidding, they came to a halt. They'd run at least 8 miles, but none of them were tired.

"We'll split up from here. Meet back at this exact spot by 2 o'clock. We still need to make the trip back to the manor before sunrise," she wasn't even facing the coven. She'd thought that she'd seen a very familiar pair of eyes further into the dark forest, but when she'd tried to focus on it, it'd vanished. A small shiver ran up her spine.

"What is it, maestra?" Miranda noticed Elizabeth stiffen as if she'd noticed something. She was rarely ever surprised in her own forest territory, so it worried her.

"Elaine, Michael isn't here, is he?" the slightly panicked tone in her voice served to unnerve the girls even more.

"…I-..I can't see anything! My vision's blocked!" Elaine's own voice came out in a harsh whisper. She wasn't used to not being able to see with her mind. Not many things were invisible to her with it, and it took an enormous amount of power to paralyze it.

"What kind of immortal can blind a psychic without even being detected first?!" Miranda was quickly at Elaine's side, checking her eyes, making sure she could still see normally.

"The Reaper can, you idiot! You quickly forget that he's unlike any other immortal!" Victoria's own panic surfaced, causing her to lash out at her own family.

"Quiet! If he is indeed here, we mustn't show our surprise any more than we already have. I won't give him any advantage over us," Elizabeth took a deep breath and stood straighter.

The coven literally froze as a sound like sighing surrounded them. The already dark forest faded darker, leaving them in an almost impenetrable area of black. Elizabeth's sharp eyes suddenly blurred, leaving her practically blind. With two more surprised gasps, she realized that the Reaper had negated their special senses. Miranda couldn't hear anything, and Victoria's sensitive nose quit picking up the slight scent of smoke that'd been coming from in front of them.

"What the hell?!" Miranda's voice was a touch louder than it needed to be because of her sudden deafness.

Elaine touched Miranda's shoulder, mouthing to be quiet since she couldn't hear. Elizabeth kept glaring forward, determined to not let the Reaper's little stunt scare her more.

"I've taken your senses to ensure my anonymity. It is not an act of hostility, I assure you," a voice that was distinctly male sounded from nowhere until a man walked towards them, dressed all in black, most of his face covered by a scarf around his mouth. Only the upper half of his face was visible.

"Reaper," Elizabeth stated it as if she was addressing a guest. Although she was blinded, she looked towards him and lifted her chin.

"Elizabeth. Victoria. Miranda. Elaine," he said each of their names as if he was only greeting them. There was a hint of urgency behind his calm voice, however.

"Why are you here, then? We've done nothing wrong," Elizabeth was reminded of her argument with Michael the night before.

"I've come to enlist you, for lack of a better word," his eyes flashed different colors, going from dark to light and back again. He even had the colors that they themselves had: red, violet, and ice blue.

"Enlist? What would the infamous Reaper, killer of immortals and humans alike, want with a coven of vampires?" Elizabeth's voice echoed in the black surroundings, making it hard to understand if you weren't concentrating completely.

"I only kill treaty-breakers, which you would've known if you were as informed as you pretend to be. You don't need to be defensive against me. Not anymore," He stepped in a pattern between the girls, making sure to look at each one in the eyes.

"And why not? Until now, you've been aching to execute us for stepping the wrong way. You expect me to believe that you truly don't wish us harm?" her eyes blurred even further, reducing her to complete blacked out vision. She could still hear him close from the rustle his clothes made as he continued pacing around them.

"I've never harmed you. I only keep watch, as is my purpose in this world. Vampires tend to think that because they've broken free of time's grasp that they can break from other rules as well. Fear of me keeps them in check," the frankness in his answer calmed Elizabeth, who still couldn't see.

"Who deigned that you'd be the 'guardian' of vampires and humans? There's none higher in the food chain than you. Not even an ancient," Elaine spoke up from her long silence. She still retained her normal senses, but was mentally crippled because of this man in black.

"Just because you don't know of them, that doesn't mean they don't exist. And it's not my place to reveal them just yet. Will you listen to my dilemma, or shall I just leave you to take the blame of the murdered child?" He turned his gaze to the youngest vampire, causing her to shiver a little. Never had she seen such eyes.

"If we agree to listen, will you agree to help us with that little incident?" Determined to get something out of this encounter, Elizabeth decided on a deal.

"First you won't trust me, and now you wish to make a deal with me? How interesting. If you agree to my offer, then I'll ensure that you won't be harmed or discovered. Is that agreeable?" He changed his tone to a more playful taunt. He was getting his way and he knew it.

"Can we trust your word?" Elizabeth was skeptical about trusting their former enemy and hunter. Treachery wasn't unknown to this deal-enforcer.

"I've never broken it. And are you willing to doubt the word of one stronger even than your ancients?" He stopped in front of her, not two feet away.

After a few moments of tense silence, she sighed in defeated. The Reaper smiled, knowing that he'd won this round.

"Alright, what is it you need us for?" She grimaced in the servile tone she'd unconsciously taken. She hadn't played the obedient one for centuries.

"I need you to find a particular ancient for me. I need her here. She's difficult to track, so you'll need all the help I give you. Her name is Isabelle," he was all business again, pacing around them.

At the mention of the ancient's name, Elizabeth stiffened. She hadn't heard it in a long time, but she'd know her anywhere. She'd blessed and cursed her names many times.

"I see you already know of whom I speak," the Reaper caught the slight reaction from the oldest vampire.

"Yes," her voice was almost a whisper.

"Then your task is that much easier. I'd like her here as soon as possible," he backed up into the direction he'd come from, the vampires' senses coming back slightly.

"Wait, your name. I want the name of the person I've contracted my coven to," As her senses eased back, she became bolder with it.

"Wanting and getting do not necessarily come together." Was his last words and then he was gone. The moon's light in the forest was momentarily blinding after being in complete darkness for so long.

"Good gods, that was frightening! I never want to lose my hearing again!" Miranda gasped as she got her senses back. Everyone laughed in agreement, but it seemed shaky and more relieved than actual laughing should be.

"So why did you react to Isabelle's name? Do you know her?" Victoria sniffed the air to make sure that her smell was indeed back.

"I don't know her, but I know who she is. Michael revealed her to me early in our toxic relationship," reluctant to reveal even more information from a bad era of her life, Elizabeth rushed this out.

"An old girlfriend?" Miranda curiously asked.

"No. maybe. But not to my knowledge."

"His maestra," Elaine guessed. With her mind back, she was more intuitive again.

"Unfortunately," Elizabeth sighed, "but that's not my problem. I have an idea how to find her the fastest, but it means throwing a lot of pride away."

"How? We don't even know her," Miranda, ever the less involved one in a conversation, asked.

Elizabeth mumbled something, and not even the sharp hearing of Miranda could make it out.

"What?"

"I have to ask Michael. He's the only one who'd know where she is. Like the Reaper said, she's hard to find," she scowled, angry that she had to give in twice within a short time. And to two people that she didn't trust.

"Where is he?" Victoria grimaced as well. In her own experience with the second-generation vampire, she'd never liked him. Vampires like him were the reason a person like the Reaper had to exist.

"I don't know, but Elaine should be able to track him," Elizabeth glanced pleadingly at the psychic. They both knew that she did know, but didn't want to be the one to find him.

"Of course. Tomorrow then? It's too late to look now," Elaine noticed the lateness of the hour from the gradual lightening of the sky. They were still a ways from the mansion.

"No, we still need to hunt. My arm won't wait that long. The night after that," Elizabeth started the run back to the mansion, leaving the coven slightly behind as they ran after her. As usual, Elaine caught up to her.

"Elizabeth, you don't have to come with us. We can convince him to tell us Isabelle's whereabouts by ourselves," her quietness betrayed her doubt in the statement.

"Thank you, but we both know that I have to be the one to talk to him. I just hope he'll tell us without resorting to a fight," she kept her eyes forward, but she could still sense the sad agreement from Elaine.

"I just didn't want you to have to deal with him. You two don't exactly have the best history for him to want to deal with you."

"He'll have to. He still cares for me, even if I no longer feel the same. Those kind of emotions don't fade out just because we're apart."

"We both know that isn't true."

"Of course it is. You saw that last night, when he came to talk with me."

"I meant about you no longer feeling the same."

"Like I said before, those feelings are behind me." Elizabeth's tone went immediately defensive. She hadn't shown her weakness so plainly, had she?

"And like you said: those kind of emotions don't fade." Elaine's retort stung her.

"I can't feel that way anymore. He's a monster."

"Love doesn't care. It bites even the most unwanted and unwilling victims."

"Love…I don't know it anymore. I was just a brainwashed, easily enchanted baby vampire. I came out of it. We leave it at that." With a burst of power, she rushed ahead, faster even than Elaine, who was left sighing knowingly behind her.

When they finally arrived back at the mansion, the sun was high enough the begin burning them. Elaine's skin flaked as she ran into her coffin, closing it on herself with a loud snap. The others followed suite with their own, except Elizabeth, who only quickly shut the thick drapes in her room.

She'd never slept in a coffin. Not even when she was with Michael, who'd insisted on it. It made her feel less human than she already was. She stayed up as the sun rose higher. In her bed which was curtained even thicker than the drapes across her windows, she reflected.

Finding Isabelle even if Michael decided to help her would be near impossible at best. How did the Reaper intend for her to find this ancient? They rarely deigned it worthy to become known to even a second-generation vampire.

"Who'd have thought that being an immortal could be so taxing?" she said to herself, feeling the pull of sleep coming upon her. Her eyelids closed slowly, her blinking lasting longer with each one. As she fell asleep, she thought she heard a lullaby play quietly beside her. She succumbed to unconsciousness instead of finding out. She needed her rest.

End Chapter


	7. Michael

The Coven

Chapter 7: Michael

The hunt the next evening went as planned. Elizabeth's arm healed good as new, and they all renewed their strength. Blood was the best medicine for a vampire, even better than the modern practices that surrounded them. Even the most fatal and disastrous wound could be healed, if only there was enough blood.

"So how are we going to confront Michael? I doubt he'll just pop up and let us accost him with questions about his maestra," Victoria lounged in the same den she'd thrown a tantrum in a few nights before. Her face and clothes were all clean of the blood she'd gorged herself on earlier.

"He'll come to us. If only I shall call…," Elizabeth didn't want to call for him, however. He'd only rub in the fact that she did in fact need him after all this time.

"He won't knock us out again, will he?" Victoria's cheeks flared at the embarrassing memory of her slapping Miranda unjustly.

"I doubt it. You don't pose a threat anymore," was her quiet reply.

"Not a threat? Me?!" Miranda bristled. She took pride in being the 2nd strongest vampire in the coven.

"He's a second-generation vampire. You're a fourth-generation. The gap is big enough for even you to not be a match," she stared out the window as she had before, scanning the tree line.

"Will he answer you? Truly? You didn't seem on very cordial terms on his last visit," Elaine intoned. She was sprawled on the floor, looking at the ceiling, painted with scenes of vampirism long ago.

"He knows that I have to call on him eventually. He's irritating that way. He won't have strayed very far from here."

"Are you sure there's no other way?" Victoria sat up straighter, keeping her violet eyes on Elizabeth.

"Yes. No one else knows of her except us, him, and the other ancients, and he's the only one who'll tell us where she is."

Silence creeped upon them then. They sat in place for a long while, listening to the outside world, still busy with insects and wolves in the forest. The night was just as noisy as the day, but without the buzzing of humans going about their business.

"So what do we do for the rest of the night?" Miranda sighed exasperatedly. She hated having nothing to do.

"How about Victoria enchant us with her turning story? It's been a while, and it's a nice one," Elizabeth smile warmly from the window, still not turning around. Once again, she needed a distraction from thoughts of Michael. Stories were the only way she knew how to drown his voice out of her head.

"Not now, Elizabeth. I don't feel like reminiscing right this moment. How about you tell us about the vampire 'family tree' again? I love hearing about the lineage," Victoria smoothly changed the subject while satiating her thirst for knowledge at the same time.

"Well you know there are four ancients, yes?" Elizabeth began.

"There's Jacob, Maria, Marcus, and of course, Isabelle," as she said each name, a picture of the vampires appeared in their heads. Elaine was reading Victoria's mind and projecting the image for effect. Only the book-smart vampire had seen actual images of the ancients.

Jacob and Maria both had black hair, and normal tanned faces. The ancients were the only vampires in existence that had retained their original skin color after changing. Marcus had long, curly blonde hair, styled like the ancient Greeks, which he claimed to have originally been. Isabelle's hair was as red as a ripe cherry, long and straight down to her waist.

"Then there's the second-generation vampires. Isabelle only turned two people, Michael and his sister, Abrielle. I've never met her, but Michael always told me to steer clear. She turned about four people that I know of. And none of them know where she is now.

Marcus turned only one woman, by the name of Claire. She was engaged to be married, but she ran off with Marcus the night before the wedding. I've actually had the pleasure of meeting her. She's a lovely singer, but a bit sad.

Of course the ancients also turned their courts: servants, soldiers, select loved ones. They weren't going to spend eternity alone without their human comforts. That's part of the reason why there's so many today.

Maria turned three people. All boys, by the names of Killian, Sean, and Aidan. None are over the age of twelve I believe. She couldn't have children, so she simply made some."

"Are all vampires barren?" Victoria inquired, fascinated.

"No. We have the human's drive and ability for procreation, but she was already unable to bear children when she became immortal."

"I think I've seen Killian before," Elaine added, "he was at the circus often, and he always visited my booth. I thought he was just a nobleman's song, getting his kicks."

"Killian was always the curious one, I'm told. Sean's the brave, stupid one, and Aidan's a psychic like you. That may be why Killian was curious. He probably thought that there was only the Gift among immortals."

"And then there's Jacob, the Lost One. No one's seen or heard from him for centuries, not even his own brethren. As far as I know, he never turned someone. He didn't want to condemn a human to suffer like us also."

"He sounds a lot like you, Elizabeth," Miranda commented, pretending to be bored, but still listening intently all the same.

"That's not quite a compliment. For he's rumored to be the most bloodthirsty," she responded, "he either didn't harm someone at all or drained them dry."

"What about third-generation like yourself?" Elaine asked.

"Well there's me, the only one Michael ever turned. He said to me once that he only needed one companion for eternity or none, and he wouldn't turn anyone but me once he'd watched me for a while."

"That's very romantic," Miranda said quietly.

"And it was complete rubbish. Abrielle, as I said before, turned four people. Kai, a man of about 21, Ian, his younger brother, Morgan, Kai's wife, and Morgan's best friend, Aina. She only turned them so she could have people to fetch her food, for they don't speak to her unless she wants blood.

Claire turned only one little girl, who was dying of the plague. Her name was Raine, and she was killed by Jacob about three years ago."

"Jacob killed a vampire?" Victoria gasped.

"Yes. He has a certain calling card on his victims: a single drop of blood on their forehead. Marcus found Raine lying dead in her coffin one evening, and the word spread," Elizabeth said sadly, "and then he disappeared again."

"I hope the Reaper finds him," Miranda said darkly, "no one, not even an ancient, has the right to kill innocent children."

"Do not say such things. He's your blood. On with the genealogy," Elizabeth continued.

"Killian, Sean, and Aidan have turned many a human, so many I don't know any of their names. They run rampant and unwatched in America I hear.

Now for the fourth-generations. Your generation. There's you, Victoria and Miranda, who're the only ones I've turned. Kai, Ian, Morgan, and Alice haven't turned anyone yet. They don't want anyone else to suffer their lifestyle. Alice and Ian do, however, have twins. Nathan and Nadie are as opposite as can be imagined, inside and out."

As the images of the twins formed in their heads, Miranda frowned.

"I've seen Nathan before, I believe. I can't remember from where, though," she closed her eyes, focusing on the picture more clearly. When she couldn't remember, she opened them and shrugged.

"He's not dangerous, so it's not really a concern of ours, though I'm surprised that he was that far from his family. They usually travel in packs. Might as well not dwell on it, I suppose.

As for the offspring of Killian, Sean, and Aidan's little ventures, I can't name their number, so I'll just leave it at a lot of impulsive, unsupervised baby vampires running amok.

There are thousands of thousands of fifth generation and beyond vampires, but here's the few that I know of: Elaine, who we know was turned by Miranda; Nadie turned a boy who she fell in love with, David; and Nathan had a fling with a few girls and wound up with a half-breed son, Dante. Quite the scandal among us immortals," at this, Elizabeth chuckled.

There was not image of the half-breed, and when the girls looked at her, she just shrugged, "Victoria didn't know of him, so there's no picture for that one."

"A half-breed? Does he age? Is he strong? Does he have powers?" suddenly, Miranda wasn't pretending to not be interested anymore. New types of immortals meant new challenges. She hadn't tested her strength in a while.

"He doesn't age that I know of, yes, I hear he's especially strong, and no, he doesn't have any powers," Elizabeth quickly answered her questions.

"You aren't interested, are you?" Elaine teased from beside her, smiling jokingly.

"Are you kidding?! Of course I am! This guy sounds like a challenge!" Miranda stood up and punched the air in excitement.

"You're so excitable. Calm down, you'll hurt yourself," Victoria teased. Miranda blushed and sat back down quickly, embarrassed at her hyper reaction.

"Well, it's getting early. I think we'd better call it a night," Elizabeth interrupted the teasing. They looked outside and saw the beginning of another sunrise.

"Already? Time does fly when you're entertained," Victoria complained.

"and tomorrow is the reluctant night we begin our new task," the thinnest vampire finished.

"At least it's different than sitting around here all night," Miranda added. She was already halfway out the door and taking Elaine with her by the hand. They all left to go to bed, except for Miranda and Elaine, who were now in Elaine's chambers deep underground.

"Why the secrecy, Maestra? What do you want me to see?" Elaine gently disentangled her hand from Miranda's grip. Miranda blushed at her question.

"You see right through me so easily?"

"You're not hard to see through. I'm your creation, after all, the one who knows you best," she answered. Now she was curious to her question. What was so embarrassing for the strong Miranda to ask?

"Uhm, I was thinking about how Elizabeth and Michael were, you know, a couple, and all those other couples she talked about while telling us our lineage. I was just wondering…um," she stuttered, trying to rush it out.

"Maestra? I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous," Elaine was serious now, having them both sit down in plush chairs she hardly ever used.

"W-well, can you try and see if..um..I ever, you know, fall in love?" she blushed even redder, hanging her head in shame.

"Of course. Is that all? You had me worried, Miranda," Elaine breathed out the breathe she'd been holding unconsciously. She was only asking if she ever fell in love, not something as serious as she'd thought.

"It's not something I thought I'd ever be curious about, okay? It's just eating at me," she mumbled, keeping her eyes down and away.

"Well let's see if we can ease that, shall we?" Elaine held out her hands, palm up. Usually, she didn't need to touch anyone to get a vision, but touching the person she was trying to see for helped.

As Miranda haltingly put her hands on top of hers, Elaine felt an electric shock run up her arms. Miranda gasped, feeling it too. A picture formed in Elaine's mind, and she smiled.

With a physically flash, she disconnected their hands, giggling slightly. It grew to a delighted laugh as Miranda finally looked straight at her and glared.

"What?!"

"Nothing. You do fall in love, maestra. I'm tired, now, good morning," and with a final burst of laughter she shooed Miranda out of her room, locking the door. She heard and embarrassed growl and a kick as Miranda stormed off.

As she got into her bed, she couldn't quit smiling. Her maestra? In love with that person? She was still having a small laugh as she heard Miranda still grumbling in her head. There wasn't a chance she was going to ruin the experience for her. If she knew who it was, she'd avoid them at all costs, just to be defiant.

She went to sleep with a smile still plastered on her face, while Miranda slept embarrassed and curious. She couldn't shake the feeling of embarrassment for even asking such a thing. Tomorrow was not going to be a good night, she could already tell.

End Chapter


	8. The Fifth Member

The Coven

Chapter 8: Another Deal

They awoke early in the evening, just as the sun was setting. The lingering heat caused them a little discomfort for about a half hour, making them shrink into the darker places for a while.

"So tonight's the night huh? The beginning of our new adventure?" Victoria ran into Miranda and Elaine first, happy for some unknown reason.

"Whatever, let's just find Elizabeth," Miranda grumbled, still mad from the night before. Elaine just smiled.

"What's wrong? You usually don't wake up angry," Victoria followed behind her, careful not to get too close in case she swung at her in anger.

"None of your business. Get away from me," she stepped faster, making her companions have to work to keep up, "where's Elizabeth?"

"In the lounge, where we always meet," Victoria looked at Elaine this time, but she only shook her head and kept walking. She was still smirking when they walked into the room to find Elizabeth standing at the window like always.

"Good evening, ladies. Are we ready to get this torture over with?" she smiled wryly, turning to face them. Her eyes were gold already. A sign of her nervousness, for vampires' eyes only changed under extreme emotions, usually hunger.

"How do we call him?" Victoria sat down.

"First, all of you sit. I want us to seem expectant and capable," Elizabeth inhaled as the coven followed her request. She breathed deeply a few times before turning to the window again.

"Michael, I need you. Now," she added a phrase in a language none of the others knew, and for a moment, nothing happened.

Then triumphant laughter rang in their ears. Michael entered the room through the door they'd just come in from, with a dramatic dropping of his cloak. Elizabeth turned with her eyes closed for a moment, then opened them and stood straighter.

"I knew you'd need me eventually. You had me worried for a moment, love," he laughed, momentarily unaware of the coven that was glaring at him.

"I'm sure. We've a need to discuss Isabelle. Business only," she responded, folding her hands in front of her. Elaine saw that they were clenched tight, but didn't dwell on it. This was a visit from her ex, after all.

"Isabelle?" his smile dropped slightly, "why are you asking of her?"

"That's my own business. I need her location. We need to speak with her," Elizabeth's jaw clenched as she quit speaking, glaring the coldest of them all.

"That's hardly the way to get me to tell you. What's in it for me?" He stepped closer to her, reaching out, and Miranda cleared her throat. He turned and finally looked at the girls.

"The whole coven? Hardly necessary, love," he looked back at Elizabeth.

"I'm not going to let you near me without the extra protection, _love_," she said mockingly. She took another breathe and stepped closer to him, "now, are you going to talk to us?"

"I never said I wouldn't but I want to know why," he chanced to turn his back on Miranda's now aggressive stance.

"Why should I tell you?" she let him step even closer, knowing that it was only to distance himself from the coven and closer to her. Even so, she felt her breathing quicken slightly. She blamed it on her loathing of his proximity.

"Otherwise, there's no incentive for me to tell you," he answered, staring straight at her with his neon yellow eyes. She felt herself stiffen slightly.

"Only if you swear to keep it in this room," she compromised.

"I so swear," he said with a smile, his fangs slightly protruding. She could hear Miranda's disapproving sniff behind him, but couldn't make herself look away from him.

"We've met the Reaper, Michael," she began, watching his reaction. He didn't flinch.

"And?"

"He wants to speak with Isabelle," she said through gritted teeth. Hopefully the Reaper had better broken deals to avenge than her necessary betrayal in telling Michael.

"He didn't tell you why?" his tone was quieter now, his eyes piercing.

"No. We were to busy trying not to panic to ask," she said with a slight sneer.

"Ah, his 'anonymity' protection. I'd forgotten about that. Paranoid, that one is," he said with a small chuckle.

"You've met?"

"More than I'd ever care for. I'll make you another deal," he said suddenly, causing a suspicious glance to pass among the coven members behind him. Elizabeth snorted in disbelief.

"Another deal? What else do you have to offer?"

"Not only will I tell you, but I will personally speak with her to meet with the Reaper," he said with a widening smile.

"On what circumstance?" Elizabeth asked, fearing the answer.

"I go with you."

A hiss issued from behind him, and it wasn't Miranda who'd issued it. Victoria was suddenly standing, hands clenched into fists. Elaine and Miranda had their faces blank with shock.

"Why would I agree to that?" she managed to choke out in her own shock.

"Because you know you want me around. I'm useful," he practically whispered. Elizabeth was disgusted with herself when she felt a chill start in her spine.

"Elizabeth? A word?" Elaine's voice crept around him. Elizabeth gratefully skirted around him to group together with the girls.

"We can't have him around! He's trouble with a capital 'T'!" Miranda whispered.

"He's right, though. I hate him as much as you all do, but he'd be useful to have around," Victoria grumbled.

"Elizabeth, I believe this one's up to you," Elaine's comment set the girls to stare at their leader expectantly. After a few tense moments, during which Michael looked through the library's contents leisurely, she turned to face him again.

"Are you done bickering already?" Michael chuckled softly as he put the book he was rifling through down.

"I've come to a decision."

"…and?" he asked when she was quiet for a moment.

"…You may accompany us. Only until we find Isabelle and get her to come back here," she pronounced each syllable firmly. _I hope this is the right decision, _she thought to herself.

"Excellent," he walked forward alarmingly fast, grasped Elizabeth's hand, and kissed it, ignoring the protests of all four of them. With a jerk, she yanked her hand free and went to slap him, but he ran out of the room before he hand connected with his face.

"Arrogant clod," Miranda hissed.

"I agree. Elizabeth, when do we leave? Soon, I hope, for I won't tolerate being that near him for longer than I have to," Victoria added.

"You'll tolerate him for as long as I dictate, and I say we leave tomorrow. I won't risk leaving tonight, so near to the sunrise. We'd never find somewhere safe to sleep in time," Elizabeth snapped back. With an angry huff, she left the room, storming towards her room.

"What was that for?" Victoria called.

"She's not any happier having him around than you, Victoria," Elaine answered.

"I'm going to punch around for a while," Miranda added, running out of the room.

"I suppose I'll read more about Isabelle. Luck favors the prepared," Victoria sighed. As she plucked a book from the shelves, she noticed Elaine was still standing there, "how're you going to spend the rest of the night? Just standing there?"

"I'm going to join Miranda. You never like it when I hover around you while you're researching anyways," she answered and swept out of the room also.

"Finally figured it out, has she?" Victoria mumbled to herself as she began reading. Before long she was lost in the world of the ancients, scouring the tales for any signs of Isabelle. She highlighted the passages that were particularly important.

As Elaine walked the halls, following Miranda, she began humming to herself. The tune sounded familiar, and when she recognized it, she stopped and stood silent in place for a moment. She'd been humming the lullaby Michael had sung to knock out Victoria and herself.

"What odd lyrics to choose," she shrugged and continued walking. She almost ran into Michael's chest when he stepped in front of her silently.

"You should know them," he said as she stepped back quickly.

"And why would I know them?" she glared, but he kept smiling at her.

"Because you were the one who sang them first."

"I think I'd know if I spouted nonsense like that," she huffed.

"Are you sure? You didn't recognize me the other night, and you now know that you'd met me a long time ago. Your memory's not really reliable, now, is it?" he pointed out.

"You suggesting that I don't have control of my own mind?"

"Not at all. There's just holes in your memory, Elaine. Don't be so sure that you know precisely what you didn't do or who you haven't met. Friendly advice from me to you," as he turned to walk away, she snatched the back of his shirt, pulling him back.

"Friendly? You? When did you claim yourself as such? All you do is hurt people. Especially those who once were your everything," she snapped, making him turn and face her again.

"They brought their pain on themselves. Deny your fate and it tends to haunt you. I know from experience," he said quietly. In the dark she couldn't see his face, but she could hear the muted pain there.

"You don't know pain, Michael."

"I know a deeper pain than you will ever know of. But it's my burden, so I suggest you let me go," he yanked her hands away, and she sighed.

"I wasn't speaking of my own pain, you idiot," she turned away from him to take the long way to the gym. As she began running, she called back softly, "you hurt her more than she'll ever let on."

Elizabeth wrote quietly at her desk, the fireplace crackling softly. She wasn't even aware of what she was writing anymore, her mind was on other things. The soft scratching noise of the pen on paper soothed her, so she wrote.

"What is it now?" she said to what had seemed a mere rustle of cloth from her window, but was, in fact, Michael again.

"How do you always know where I am?" he sighed and then sat on her bed.

"How could I not? We spent quite a while together, maestra. You learn to recognize a few things," she put down her pen and turned in her seat to face him.

"Don't call me that. It doesn't suite the situation," he said with a frown. He never did like being called maestra, she recalled.

"It's what you are. Like I said before: what is it now? You've gotten what you came for. Go find a dark hole and bury yourself in it. We don't leave until tomorrow."

"Such hostility. I only wanted to wish you good night. Is that such a bad thing to want?" he said with a playful smile.

"Nothing that includes you is ever a good thing. Good evening," and with a cold glance, she turned back to her writing. She could hear the sound of him getting up, but was still surprised when he was right beside her.

"What're you writing, love?" he tried to look at the paper and she slapped his hand. Standing up she glared right into his eyes.

"Quit calling me 'love'. I asked you politely. Get. Out," with a jab, she pointed towards the door. In response he sighed dramatically and left. As the door shut, she felt a blush creep into her cheeks.

She took up her pen again, now writing furiously, almost ripping the paper with the force of her hand. When she'd finally calmed down, she sat back and looked at the sheet. With a frown, she crumpled it up and threw it in the fire. As the paper curled and blackened, she could still see her elegant script underneath a rough sketch of Michael's face:

Who said love never hurt anyone?

End Chapter


	9. Unknown

The Coven

Chapter 9: The First Step

"So this is how it's going to be?" Michael questioned the girls, who all were ignoring him at the moment. It'd been like that all morning, with the exception of Elizabeth telling him to keep his distance.

"I see," he stormed out of the room, leaving them alone for the moment.

"Thank god. I thought he'd never leave," Victoria growled.

"Why are you all treating him so? He hasn't betrayed us yet," Elaine spoke, leaning against the doorway.

"You're being just as cold as us, princess," she snapped back.

"I never talk unless it's important. It's not out of spite like you," Elaine retorted. Victoria was momentarily silent.

"Whatever the reason, we'd better head out now if we want any chance of finding shelter tonight," Miranda sighed and followed Michael. Elaine, after a moment, followed silently.

"Victoria, I'd advise you to think before you speak. You might say something you'll regret," Elizabeth advised as she too walked out the door. Victoria only grunted in response. She really didn't like having that pig along for the ride.

As they slowly assembled themselves in the garden, the moon cast a sickly glow on everything. Their skin all seemed to glow in the dark while their black clothes absorbed the light like water into a towel.

"Why the depressing duds, maestra?" Miranda plucked at her own dark attire in slight disappointment.

"We can't be seen by the people who inhabit the village where we'll find shelter tonight. They come from long lines of vampire hunters," Michael answered. His own clothes were deep black, but they were out of date. They looked like the clothes of a mourning noble of about three centuries earlier.

Only Elizabeth and Michael seemed to suit their attire, for the others seemed tired and out of place in them. Miranda wore dark baggy pants, a black tank and hoodie, and black combat boots underneath. Elaine wore black capris, a long sleeved shirt and a long trench coat, with a pair of plain black boots. Her hair was pulled back into a pigtail, revealing a moon-shaped scar by her blue eye.

Victoria wore a pair of shiny flats with a long skirt and a halter shirt with a jean jacket over it. Her own dark locks were braided back, a headband in it also. Elizabeth stood quietly in her own black pants, a black camisole and black sneakers. Her blonde hair was covered under a black scarf, and she wore a black fur-lined trench.

"Why in the immortals' names are we going to a vampire hunter town?! That's crazy!" Victoria protested.

"And unexpected. We're only staying one night, Victoria. Are you scared?" Michael teased.

"I wouldn't start this 'partnership' off so badly, Michael. It'll come back and bite you, I promise," Miranda spoke darkly.

"Enough. It's late as it is. We can't delay this any longer. Are we ready to begin?" Elizabeth looked to Elaine for the answer.

With a quick nod, they all began their long run. The town was at least 300 miles, and even to vampires as fast as Elizabeth and Michael, it was quite a long journey to make before sunrise. Michael and Elizabeth easily took the lead, with Elaine right behind them, and then Miranda and Victoria.

As the night progressed, the air became colder. When Victoria finally dared to look around, she realized that they were climbing a mountain, towards the snow-covered peak. Their breath began to come out in white puffs.

"How much further?" Miranda called ahead, the backs of Elizabeth and Michael beginning to obscure through the cold.

"We're heading to the peak. Not far," Michael answered. For once, there was no smile or smart remark as he continued to run through the icy air.

As the cold got to the point where their hair began to stiffen, Michael finally called for a halt. Elizabeth seemed angry that he'd taken control so fast.

"We need to find thicker coats than what we've brought," he answered their questioning eyes.

"Why? We're fine," Miranda asked.

"How would it look to a human if we all wandered in their town in this cold with hardly any covering, after a long trek up here?" he answered.

"Where are we going to find winter coats out here?' Elizabeth snapped. They were still in the woods, the snow that covered the ground soaked through their clothes. Still, they didn't flinch or shiver.

"That is where Elaine and I come in," he said.

"Me?" Elaine chanced a glance out over the mountain. The land was lit as bright almost as the day for the moon was full. It was breathtakingly beautiful, with the snow untouched.

"We're going to sneak into the village and 'borrow' some from the villagers," he said simply.

"Steal? What'll happen to those unfortunate to be the ones you 'borrow' from?" Elizabeth said with a frown.

"Knocked unconscious and put somewhere safe, don't worry," he said with a smile.

"Why am I going along?" Elaine questioned with her chilling blue and silver eyes.

"And why not us?" Miranda added.

"Elaine's talents can help us sneak around, and I don't think any of you should go along. If we by some chance are discovered, you'll still be safe," he snapped back.

"That sounds safe enough, but how long will you be gone?" Elizabeth said slowly. She wasn't going to send Elaine if it was too long. The sunrise wasn't far off. The sky was already lightening.

"About fifteen minutes, give or take," he answered simply. When Elizabeth finally nodded in approval, both Elaine and Michael sped off. As they left, she heard Miranda grumble something not politically correct, she smiled slightly.

The wind began howling fiercely as the night wore on. Michael and Elaine were taking longer than expected. Elizabeth pulled her coat closer to herself out of habit, since she hadn't actually been cold, warm, hungry, or sick in centuries.

Just as she was about to stomp after them herself, she heard a few sticks break and Michael and Elaine stumbled through the brush into the clearing. At first glance Elizabeth couldn't see their faces underneath the coats they wore over their heads.

"Were your ears cold?" Miranda giggled as Elaine handed her a battered, dirty coat. From the looks of them, they'd stolen them from a line outside and drug them around.

"Why're they dirty?" Elizabeth looked at Michael.

"Well I'm sorry they're not brand new, but we had to do more sneaking than I'd anticipated," he answered tiredly as he shoved his arms in the biggest down coat.

"The town is on some sort of alert. We had to knock out at least three people just to get these. If that wasn't enough, we were almost caught. We can't stay anywhere near here tonight," Elaine added.

"Alert? They were already attacked then," Miranda burrowed into her own long, fur coat. Even though she couldn't feel the wind's chill bite, she didn't like the feel of snow hitting her.

"Apparently. Come. Dawn is near and we need to find somewhere else to stay. Before that, however, I must speak with you, Elizabeth," Michael grabbed Elizabeth's hand and pulled her away.

"Is something wrong?" she asked anxiously. He only ever had that expression when something bad was about to happen.

"Abrielle is or was here not long ago. I can smell her on almost every human down there," he almost whispered.

"Abrielle? Why is she here of all places?" Elizabeth felt the other girls' stares on her, but she brushed them off with a shrug under her own coat.

"I don't know, but that means that we need to run fast. She's never liked having others around," he added grimly, remembering some horror that Elizabeth could only guess at.

"Which way do we go? We still need to find Isabelle, Michael," Elizabeth noticed that her hand was still covered in his. With a jerk, she yanked it back.

"So we're still on sour terms I see. Fine. We go east," he said with sudden sharpness. With a nod, she let him begin the run, her mind on other matters than safety.

When the sun was just beginning its trek up into the sky, they found a cave. With a collective shiver of pain, they pushed rocks into the entrance to block the sun. As the last stone was put in, they sighed in relief. They were safe for another night.

"Tomorrow we need to hunt. The sun's damaged us all enough to slow us down if we don't," Michael suddenly stated. He'd been silent ever since the town and Elizabeth knew he was sulking. Even so, she felt a slight twinge of regret.

She couldn't help her reactions to the man, even though lately he'd been nothing but a monster in the past. Even still, he didn't try to pick fights like she'd thought he would. She wondered how much of his loyalty was with his word and not just to be near her. Long ago, he'd said that he would always come back to her because he was her own little dog. Always loyal and always there if she needed him.

With a shiver, she sat deliberately facing away from him. The other girls knew enough not to disturb her, so they stayed near the entrance, away from the stray beams of light the escaped into the dark like knives against their skin if they got too close.

While she lay quietly, not moving a muscle, even when a stray beam of light hit her skin, making her inhale sharply. When Victoria noticed the burn hole on her skin, she quickly covered it with a rock. As Elizabeth exhaled in relief, she frowned even deeper.

"Why didn't you move, maestra? In case you don't remember, the sun's not the friendliest force to us," Victoria scolded softly. It wasn't like Elizabeth to inflict pain on herself like that.

"I remember. Now please let me be for the moment. I need to think," and just like that, Victoria was dismissed. With a sniff, she wandered off to find something other than rough rocks to sleep on.

She could feel Michael's neon yellow eyes on her as Victoria ambled away. She sat even straighter, daring him to think her weak. That's why she hadn't flinched at the sun's knife of a ray. She'd rather punish herself than let him see her show weakness.

As she felt sleep coming over her finally, she felt a soft hand gently touch her shoulder. Only moving her eyes, she saw Elaine glaring at her beneath her now down hair, with her own back away from the others. Before Elizabeth could ask her to leave, she sat down next to her, still glowering.

"Elizabeth, you are a fool," she stated at last.

"What? How so?" she felt her face heat slightly.

"You're willing to let your body suffer because your pride won't let you be normal around him. It gives him power over you!" to emphasize her point, she grasped the arm that was now mostly red from the sun's previous attack. She gasped in pain.

"What is it to you that I let myself not flinch from pain? I won't be seen as anything but a stone to that man," with a jerk, she yanked her arm back and held it protectively.

"If he knows that you won't flinch away from danger with him around, then he can purposefully taunt you into something far more dangerous," she answered.

"I won't be so stupid as to fall for his tricks. And I won't tolerate being scolded so by one as young as you. You know nothing the pain I suffered from, and still do, just being around that devil," with a snap, she continued to stare forward at the wall in front of her.

"I know nothing?! I know best what you've been through! Even if I wanted to, I can't escape the black hole your heart's becoming right in front of us all! You're already letting him get to you! And shutting us out at the same time!" she hissed in her ear, for Miranda was now gazing warily in their direction. Her ears had picked up their snappish tones.

"You only know what I let you know! Your Gift isn't so powerful that I can't block it or detect its presence. You saw only what I let you see! You know nothing," with a huff, she stood up and strode away with long, angry strides, passing Michael, who only watched after her when she was far enough into the cave to no be seen.

"What was that?!" Miranda heaved herself next to Elaine, who was red-faced.

"Nothing I want to talk about right now. Oh how could I?" with a sigh, she put her face in her hands.

"How could you what?"

"Speak to her about him like that! I know she's sensitive about it, and yet I still persisted! What's come over me?"

"You were concerned! She never hurts herself like that and you wanted to speak some sense into her! You did nothing wrong!" with a protective arm, Miranda rubbed her friend's shoulder as she slumped slightly.

"I never talk unless it's important. I never speak my mind like that. And she told me that she only showed me what she wanted me to see in my visions. How could she know?"

"You're only caring about a friend. And I don't know. She is a powerful third-generation. And she spent time with ruthless Michael, remember? Who knows what she's capable of. She'll come back better, I think," as Elaine fell asleep, Miranda watched the suns rays slowly crawl across the floor.

With a heave, she carried her companion back into the cave, and Victoria followed, curious. As she set her down, she explained softly what she'd overheard.

"Well there's nothing more we can really say to her, is there? She has to break free of his hold on her by herself eventually. I guess it could've been worse," she mumbled as she too fell asleep. As her violet eyes drooped, she saw Miranda cover Elaine with her own coat.

"Why did you turn her? You don't strike me as people who'd become friends on their own," Victoria mumbled.

"Don't you know? She's my little pet. I use her for my own little fortune-telling business," Miranda joked, thankful for the opening to distract her from the drama.

With laughter bubbling softly, they all found the darkest corners in the cavern and fell asleep to wait out the day's glare. As they sat or lay unconscious, a few rocks tumbled inwards. In the ensuing beam of light, a head appeared to block it out. None of them stirred. As the young man slowly crawled in, he made sure to block out the light that was streaming in.

When he was all the way in and the light shut out as before, he crept and sat in one of the unoccupied corners of the cavern, watching the immortals sleep around him. Even Michael and Elizabeth didn't stir as he settled in to wait for the night.

End Chapter


	10. Dante

The Coven

Chapter 10: Dante

Miranda woke with a sharp gasp, suddenly aware of a stranger's presence in the cave. She strained her ears to hear anything, and when she heard the soft shuffle of immortal footsteps, she went to stand up, but was immediately held down by someone.

"Shhhhh, don't want to wake everyone up right this moment, do you?" a young man's voice whispered as she violently tried to kick him off. With a shuffle, she was also pinned down, unable to speak or move. Beneath his hand, she gowled.

"Don't try to play tough with me, chick. I'm no coward who backs off at the glare of an immortal," he hissed back, slightly pointed teeth bared.

With another attempt at freedom, she tried to bite his hand, and he let go only to grab her throat. Once again, she couldn't speak, only now she couldn't breathe as well.

"I'm going to loosen my hold slightly so you can speak, but be warned. I've killed far more dangerous vampires than you, without hesitation. Your coven won't get her in time to help you.

As she felt herself able to breathe, she stayed silent for a moment, baring her own fangs at this intruder.

"Who the hell are you?" she finally spat, her eyes trying to make out his face in the dark. He didn't look like an immortal, with his ordinary green eyes and tanned skin. Yet he had the fangs and strength of any vampire she'd ever met.

"I'm sure you've heard of the half-breed offspring of Nathan and his human girlfriend," he said even quieter, leaning in so she could hear him.

"Dante?" she guessed. She couldn't remember the lineage, but she guessed the name that she'd heard Elizabeth say as she described some scandal or another. She knew she'd guessed right at the slight nod and acknowledgement in his eyes. That made her even madder, "why in the hell are you sneakin around and attacking vampires you've never even met before?!"

"I didn't attack you. I'm just making sure the older ones don't know I'm here until night. Early generation rarely like being woken up from their nap," he said quietly, looking towards the others to make sure they were still asleep, "and I want them in a good mood when I speak with them."

"You didn't answer my question, prat. Why are you here?"she tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but only got his hand on her throat again. Not tight enough to keep her from breathing and talking, it effectively got her to stop.

"I'll just have to knock you unconscious if you're going to keep being this loud," he grumbled.

"Well do you expect me to cower in silence just because you have me pinned to the frickin ground?! Wrong type of vampire you're dealing with!" with a sudden grunt, she managed to finally shove him off and scramble into a crouching position. As she was about to shout to wake everyone, however, Dante leapt smoothly and tackled her, knocking the wind out of her. As she landed once again on her back, she writhed to try and escape him.

"Shush!" he hissed as she finally settled down as he found his grip on her throat again. He could practically hear the profanities she was trying to utter as her breath was partially cut off.

"…mmm…wha-?" Elaine mumbled as she woke up to the sound of Miranda hissing at some stranger who had her pinned solidly to the ground in front of her. With a gasp, she leapt up and jumped towards them.

"Finally!" Miranda growled as he let go of her to back away from the now fearsome and angry vampires in front of him. Before he could take more than a few steps, however, Miranda tackled him and shoved him up against the nearby wall, lifting him up.

"Well there goes plan A," he grumbled, not even bothering to fight to get himself down. With a sigh, he added, "might as well wake the rest of them while you're at it."

As Elaine woke the others quickly, Miranda let out a chuckle.

"Oh, so I'm funny to you. You sure become brave when your friends show up," he mocked.

"And you really need to learn not to poke fun at those who happen to have you pinned on a wall with backup coming," she replied with a sneer. Just to emphasize her point, she lifted him higher.

"Miranda, put him down," Elizabeth's voice rang clear from behind her and she reluctantly set him down, shoving him away as she stepped back. She mouthed the words 'watch yourself,' towards him, glaring.

"Who are you, boy?" she asked calmly, her eyes glaring gold in the dim light.

"Dante, and I'd really rather we did this when you were all in a better mood. What I have to share is bad enough," he answered quickly. Surrounded by the coven, he seemed significantly weaker.

"Dante? Nathan's boy? Why are you this far west? And away from him?" she seemed skeptical of this youth, but then again, Nathan never did keep tabs on the people around him very well.

"Abrielle had him send me to deliver a message. Like I said, I'd really rather it be delivered when you weren't so tired and hungry," he urged. At her name, Michael inhaled sharply from behind Elizabeth.

"To whom is the message for?" Elizabeth ignored the reaction of the man behind her.

"All of you."

With a sigh of skepticism, she turned away, gesturing Michael to follow her. The girls were left to keep and eye on him, and, in Miranda's case, glare.

"So you managed to pin Miranda? Impressive," Victoria put her hands on her hips and tossed her hair back. Even barely awake, she knew a handsome boy when she saw one, and even if he'd attacked Miranda, she'd probably deserved it. She always tended to bring out the aggressive side in people she met.

"That's not very loyal of you," Elaine smirked at the dark, curly-haired companion. At Miranda's confused glance, she shrugged and crossed her arms.

"Stay out of my mind, Elaine," she warned. Miranda made an 'oh' face as she finally caught on.

"So are you all going to just stand there while your elders decide the fate of the coven without you? Is that how this works?" he shrugged at them, leaning casually back on the wall.

"It's hardly that serious, Sunshine. And like you care how a family works," Miranda interjected.

"Sunshine?" Victoria snickered at the nickname, "why Sunshine?"

"He's not like us, idiot. He can step in sunlight without harm," she snapped.

"Don't go picking fights with me just because someone beat you at something fight-related," Victoria sniffed and continued to bat her eyes at the youth.

"Oh please, ladies. Bickering is all you two how to deal with another? Just be quiet and watch him!" Elaine sighed exasperatedly.

"You must be Elaine," he said suddenly.

"What of it?" she answered.

"Abrielle speaks of you. Says you're a psychic. One of the truly Gifted Ones."

"I am psychic. That's all you need to know," she said.

"Aidan's like you. Bit loopy, he is," he murmured, knowing that they'd hear him.

"Watch your mouth, scud," Miranda raised a fist threateningly.

"Never said she was. What, she your girlfriend," he sneered back at her.

"My maestra," Elaine answered just as Elizabeth and Michael returned, still mumbling to each other about something. Finally, they addressed Dante.

"You will stay here while we hunt tonight. After, you shall tell us this message and leave. In the meantime, we shall try and sleep, but you must swear to leave us be," she stated, adding with a meaningful glance in Miranda's direction, "that includes all of us."

"Sounds fair enough. How do I know that you'll return from the hunt and not just leave me here?"

"We're curious. Abrielle hardly speaks to others," Elizabeth smiled at him.

"So we're just going to let him watch us while we sleep, defenseless? He'll try and kill us, maestra!" Miranda protested.

"He won't, Miranda. He knows better," Elizabeth walked away without another word, retreating back to the darkest area of the cavern, disappearing from view.

"Scared of the half-breed?" he taunted as soon as Michael and the others left reluctantly to their corners.

"You wish," she said as she stomped off to go find Elaine. She heard Victoria begin her pass at him as she walked out of hearing. Shaking her head, she sighed, frustrated.

"So what're you going to do while we're out killing things?" Victoria stepped closer to him as the others went slowly back to sleep, even Miranda. His eyes were startlingly green, which was an odd color to the vampire, who was used to the odd colored eyes of other immortals.

"I'll stay here, as your maestra asked me to," he answered.

"All alone? Why don't you come with? Or don't you have the thirst like the rest of us," she stepped even closer, batting her long, dark eyelashes at him.

"I do thirst, but I just hunted, not two days ago. I don't need to feed like a typical vampire," he took a slow step forward, staring into her violet eyes. He knew what she was trying to do.

"Too bad. What kind do you prefer?" she pressed on; ignoring the fact that Elaine probably knew what she was doing and shaking her little head in disapproval.

"What do I prefer in what? Food or girls?" he smirked and she let out a girly giggle.

"Either one."

"I won't tell you," at his answer, she made a slight 'tsk'ing sound and nudged his shoulder playfully.

"That's not very fair."

"Who said I was?"

"Well I assumed you had some sense of fairness. After all, beating Miranda in her own brutality is an act of fairness right there. She can get so violent," she said with a sigh.

"I didn't attack her. And I didn't beat her, or I wouldn't have been discovered until this evening. Speaking of which, you need your sleep as much as everyone else I assume," he stepped away, while she sighed again.

"Well I suppose I do, but it's just fun to talk to someone I can relate to. Elizabeth's too serious and far off sometimes, Elaine's just plain strange all the time, and Miranda only hears what she wants to in most conversations," she complained with a pout.

"Are you always this eager to complain about your coven? It doesn't send such a loyal message."

With a slight blush of embarrassment, she cleared her throat and answered, "Well you seemed like a good listener. Anyways, I best be off to rest." She turned quickly and practically ran to the back of the cavern to hide. Her flirting attempt wasn't very effective, it seemed.

With a sigh of his own, he sat heavily on the ground, aware that Miranda was again glaring at him, half asleep next to Elaine. As she noticed that he was looking at her, she grumbled and turned away, seeming to fall asleep again.

"I wonder if Abrielle knows about Michael being here," he mumbled to himself as he felt sleep make his limbs and eyelids heavy. Unknown to him, Elizabeth had snuck close enough to hear this, and she quickly turned and retreated to her corner, frowning. Abrielle wasn't one who took surprise information with dignity and understanding. They'd have to be extra careful on the hunt if they were to survive their journey to find Isabelle.

End Chapter


	11. Trust

The Coven

Chapter 11: Trust

They all were sitting once again in the cave, bloodied and more agreeable. Even though they'd found enough blood to satisfy their wounds and strength, they were still thirsty. The coven had grown used to the lack of the fully energizing power that humans provided, but Michael seemed to be having a slight problem with it.

"How do you deal with it?" he was complaining, despite the face that he'd been the one to catch the most animals.

"Centuries of practice," Elizabeth smiled at him, in a better mood than usual because of the bounty of animals she'd managed to take.

"I miss the taste of humans, that's for sure," he grumbled.

"Don't you feed off of them anymore?" she questioned, curious. He'd never even talked about quitting his diet of people, and now he'd stopped and not told her? Wouldn't it have been the first thing he told her to try and win her back the fastest?

"No. I quit not long after you left," he said, his face strangely unreadable.

"So are you planning on telling us this message, or what?" Miranda's voice snatched their attention back to the others and the fire Dante had built when they'd gotten back.

"Of course. I was just letting you all get comfortable before telling you."

"Well now's the optimal time for it, boy. We're fed and warmed sufficiently," Elizabeth prodded the fire.

"You know Abrielle's the one who sent me. I owe her my life for a number of occasions she saved mine," he began, hunching over.

"Abrielle? Saving a half-breed's life? That's one I haven't heard of," Michael added, leaning back, his face dead serious and staring dissentingly at the young man.

"She's not entirely the most compassionate of creatures, I'll admit, but she did save me multiple times, though she still won't tell me why. Anyways, that's not what we're discussing," he cleared his throat and continued.

"She asked me about a week ago to find Michael and that he'd lead me to a coven of four vampires, to whom I'd share the message to. It was of the utmost urgency that I deliver it while you were all in a non-aggressive mood, so to speak, and she didn't tell me why."

"Follow Michael? How was she so sure he'd lead you to us?" Victoria leaned forward, intent on Dante's face.

"She knew he follows me," Elizabeth answered, her voice quiet over the growing crackle of the fire. Across from her, Dante nodded.

"Am I that predictable?" Michael chuckled from his place beside Elizabeth.

"She's your sister. She knows many things about our behaviors," he answered, then continued, "when the bloody full moon arrives, all vampires will be momentarily vulnerable to attack. And our enemies know it. It happens every 5,000 years, and the ancients are the only survivors of the last one."

"Bloody full moon? What'll happen then the dead'll rise from the grave, or something?" Miranda interrupted, curious, despite herself.

"Nothing quite so cinematic. Our only enemies have been vampire hunters and other immortals. Every 5,000 years, however, a new, much more deadly, power emerges. The only thing Abrielle would tell me was that it was guaranteed to wipe out almost all vampires in this world, ending this way of life for all but a handful."

"Michael? Did Isabelle ever tell you this?" Elizabeth turned and looked at the frozen man beside her.

"Never. She probably didn't think I'd last long enough to see it. The full moon he speaks of is only a few months away," he spoke, and his voice was forced through gritted teeth, "Isabelle knew this and didn't tell me when she'd found out that I'd lived long enough to see it. Why?"

"Who knows, but our main concern now is finding her and learning how we can avoid this 'Armageddon' of sorts. She did it once, she can certainly help us do the same," Elizabeth hesitantly touched his shoulder in sympathy, and pulled it back before the others began to stare.

"She figured you'd do something to that effect. She said to implore you, in that case, to let me accompany you. She thinks I'm safer with a coven than fending by myself or with her," Dante said hesitantly.

"You mean to join the coven? What makes you think I'd allow it?" Elizabeth sat back.

"Abrielle said to remind you of a certain time she helped you with a matter best left unsaid in front of your companions," he said darkly, aware of the stares that the others were giving to pair.

For a moment, Elizabeth's eyes narrowed, turned gold, and glared at the man, scowling and sitting up. The others were left to stare, confused, between the two, even Michael. Finally, Miranda interrupted the tension and protested.

"You can't be serious, maestra? First Michael, and now this jerk?"

"I've no choice, do I?" Elizabeth finally asked, still glaring at Dante with her aggressive molten eyes.

"I didn't want to resort to Abrielle's form of persuasion, but I was to join you at any cost," he sat up.

"Your sense of loyalty is both admirable and misplaced," and she stood up, dusting herself off. Michael rose with her and they left together, heading once again to the darkness that the deepest corner of the cavern provided.

"So I guess now we're to welcome you to the coven?" Elaine said, her long hair once again up in a ponytail. Her scar glimmered silver in the firelight.

"I know I'm not, so don't bother. I'm not here for companionship. Only survival," he replied, his face hardened.

"I wasn't going to. I was going to say that you should be ashamed. Even if Abrielle saved you, therefore gaining your loyalty, blackmail is never the way to get someone to comply with your needs. It only serves to create bitterness," and with that, she stood up and walked outside, where the moon was still shining.

"And don't think just because we're traveling together now that I won't still have my eye on you. You're still a pus-filled boil to me," Miranda scathed and followed Elaine, leaving Dante and Victoria alone once again.

"I suppose you're mad at me as well?" he sighed.

"I don't agree with how you immediately resorted to threats, but I suppose you felt you had no choice. Can't change it now," she said, and scooted closer to him.

"Why are you so friendly to me? You should be angry towards me like your companions. I've given no reason to trust me," he leaned forward, prodding the fire.

"I believe that even the most evil of creatures, no matter what they've done, can earn themselves a chance to be good. And most are capable of many wonderful things, but others don't see that. I know from experience," she said with a sad smile and leaned towards him.

"Are you trying to kiss me? Right after I've effectively pissed off your entire family in one conversation?" he smirked and leaned back.

"After resting, they'll be more understanding. I don't see how a little kiss is so bad," she laughed lightly and moved even closer.

"Even from a complete stranger? One who happens to be a skilled vampire-killer?" he added.

"One kiss doesn't mean anything. It's not like we're going to be true loves forever and get married because of it. It's been a while since I've had one and I'm in an especially good mood tonight," she said simply.

"You're a bit promiscuous, did you know that? What makes you think I'll let you plant one on me?" he leaned towards her playfully.

"You seem just as playful as me when it comes to such matters. What, you don't want one?" she giggled and leaned even more, so they were almost touching.

"I'll take one, but that means that everyone'll know that you were willing to kiss a stranger just because you felt like it. Not to mention that said stranger isn't your coven's most favorite person at the moment."

"They knew that I'm a bit loose when they added me to their family. Elaine probably knew I was going to do this for a while now. No one even blinks an eye anymore," and with that, she pressed her lips on his, cutting off any reply he might've had.

As they kissed, Miranda and Elaine were standing at the cave entrance, watching them from the dark outside. Miranda glowered and Elaine only sighed. With a huff, the scarlet-eyed girl turned and stomped a little ways into the forest, with Elaine following quietly behind.

"I knew she was a bit of a tramp, but come on!" with a grunt, she punched a tree-trunk and it splintered under her hand. With a sharp inhale, she rubbed her hand.

"She's right. I did know as of this morning that she was going to kiss him. I thought it was funny. That's why I didn't tell you," Elaine said from behind her, balancing on a dead fallen log.

"You could've warned me that there was some jerk that was going to sneak in and try to strangle me!" Miranda whirled around to face Elaine.

"Well I didn't get the vision until after that whole fiasco. Right before the hunt."

"Is that why you were in such a good mood tonight?"

"Yes. Don't worry, they won't hook up. They both know that that kiss is nothing. They're both just lonely," she sat down on the log and motioned for her maestra to sit next to her.

"Didn't she know that lonely and immortal go together like night and day? Can't have one without the other," Miranda said.

"She thought that being immortal meant that she could fool around and not have to worry about following up on them. Living forever meant no commitment," with a sigh, she added, "she found out quickly how that's not the case."

"Why didn't Elizabeth tell her about being a vampire? She would never condemn someone without telling them everything."

"Elizabeth will never tell anyone else this, but Victoria was an accident. Back when she was still feeding on humans, she was unpredictable as to whom her next meal would be. One night, she'd been with Michael in a forest, and when they entered the town, she was already ravenous. With so many people, however, they had to be careful as to whom they chose. Victoria happened by her in a dark part of town, and, blinded by her thirst, she bit. Before she'd taken much blood, she realized what she was doing and let go. Frightened, she fled with Michael, not bothering to make sure that Victoria was dead."

"Why do you know this?" Miranda asked with a shiver. She'd never seen such a side to her maestra. It frightened her.

"That's the reason she and Michael sought me out all those years ago. She found out that Victoria was a vampire, and she felt guilty for causing it. She was intent on finding her and making some sort of amends. Also, after that night, she never drank from humans again. That's all my visions told me."

"That's the reason? I just thought she quit because of her compassion towards humans," Miranda gaped.

"That's part of it, but she originally quit because of her actions that night. She felt guilty," Elaine responded, looking up through the tree tops at the glimpse of stars above them.

"Although I'm sorry about Victoria's story, I'm still mad at her. She just met Dante this morning and she's already eating his face. And he just let her," Miranda snapped, standing up again and pacing to calm herself.

"That's their business, maestra. As long as she keeps in mind that her true loyalty lies with Elizabeth, it's not a problem," Elaine smirked, "what, are you jealous?"

"Jealous?! Of what? The fact that our companion's a tramp?"

"Jealous of the fact that she kissed someone before you?"

"If I'm jealous of her, then I'm a sideways frog. I'm not one to weaken my defenses for some random jerk like her," Miranda huffed, clenching her fists.

"Oh please, Miranda. We both already know you fall in love big time, so don't play the tough chick with me. I know you want love as bad as anyone else," Elaine rolled her eyes and stood up as well.

"That reading was a fluke. I was only curious! Besides, your visions don't always come true."

"If that's what you want to tell yourself, then be my guest. You'll fall in love either way," Elaine smirked and began to walk back to the cave, with Miranda fuming behind her.

Victoria and Dante were at separate sides of the cave as Elaine and an embarrassed Miranda walked in. Victoria's inquisitive expression was met with a shake of Elaine's head and she continued to read a book she'd found earlier in the hunt.

"I'm going to sleep. Dawn's almost here and I've had enough for one night," Miranda fumed and sat heavily aways from Victoria, who only glanced her way before continuing her reading.

"Then I'll catch some rest as well. I've nothing else to do," Elaine made sure to step widely around Dante as she sat next to Miranda and closed her eyes.

"Don't ask," Victoria didn't even look up as she answered Dante's unasked question, "they always hang out together, and trying to get them to tell you what they talked about is about as useful as talking to a brick wall."

"I take it you've tried?"

"Too many times. I suppose sleep is as good an idea as any. This book's boring anyways."

With a slight chuckle, they both sat back and closed their eyes as well. As they fell asleep, Elizabeth and Michael were speaking quietly at the back of the cavern. As they spoke, they sat facing each other.

"So are you going to at least give me a hint as to what Abrielle has over you?" he was joking.

"No. It's nothing you need to bother yourself over," Elizabeth smiled back.

"Anything that upsets you like that is my business," he answered.

"It just shocked me that she'd use her pawn and that incident to get her way, that's all."

"That's how Abrielle works. Even when she was human she was ruthless. She scared even our father, a warlord," at this they both laughed quietly.

"Michael, you know I'm a bit in argument with myself, don't you?" she changed the subject, turning serious.

"About Dante? Or me?"

"Mostly you. I don't know whether I should trust you or not," she answered quietly.

"I can understand why. After all, you only remember me as the brute I was."

"Was?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm trying hard to change. I gave up humans, among other things."

"Why are you so intent on winning me over when you know I've avoided you for so long?" she almost didn't want to hear the answer.

"I thought you knew the answer to that a long time ago," he said quietly.

"You're pursuing me even though I've left you and started my own family. I only know that you're persistent."

"Why shouldn't I be? You're the only one I'd go through anything for. Even if you hate me forever, I'll still persist."

For a moment, Elizabeth only closed her eyes and bit her lip. She'd spent so long hating him, it was hard to believe she'd began to trust him again without even realizing it. She was both repulsed with her weakness and frightened of her reaction to keep trusting him. She prided herself on her strength and fortitude, but she realized that she had moments where even a powerful vampire has to feel the sting of a broken heart.

"Elizabeth? Are you going to answer me?" Michael's voice cut through her inner argument and she opened her eyes.

"I don't know how," she said honestly, aware that he was staring at her.

"Elaine was right, wasn't she?"

"About what? You spoke with Elaine about me?" Elizabeth's head snapped up in surprise. Elaine was never one to keep many secrets from her.

"She told me that I'd hurt you more than I'd know. Is she right?"

"Why did you talk with Elaine about me?" she avoided answering his question with one of her own.

"She said it in retaliation to something I'd said while I ran into her that first night in your mansion. Don't avoid the question, Elizabeth. Was she right?"

"I know that I swore to myself never to be lured into such a trap again. And I'll ask you not to talk with my family about my past anymore. It's nothing you need to know anymore," she sat up straighter and looked away, afraid of what she'd let him know.

"A trap? When did I trap you?"

"I was young and infatuated when you first turned me. I didn't want to leave you even when you'd become some blood-thirsty monster I couldn't relate to. That is the trap. Knowing I should leave, but unable to because of fantastic delusions that it'd get better soon," she snapped.

"I'm truly sorry about that, but I'm not who I was. Can't you see past my early mistakes?" his voice was almost pleading, and Elizabeth felt a sickening moment of weakness before standing up.

"I admit I trust this person you've become, but I won't be led to weakness again. I'm willing to feign some sort of friendship for the sake of my own sanity, but no more. Good night," and as she turned to walk away, she felt his hand grasp her arm and she turned around.

"I won't give in to this act, Elizabeth. You and I both know that. Also know that I'll follow you into the jaws of this immortal-destroying enemy that approaches," and he let her go, retreating even further into the cave.

"Tomorrow, we continue our search. I still need your help Michael," she practically whispered the last part, sitting down heavily and looking towards the spot he'd disappeared from. With a sigh, she laid down and fell slowly asleep, the cave once again blocked and protected by Dante's quite work while she and Michael'd been talking.

End Chapter


	12. As She Goes

The Coven

Chapter 12: As She Goes

Waking up to the end of a glorious sunset that they couldn't look at, they yawned and stretched from the positions they'd been sleeping in. They'd been traveling for about a month, seeking shelter in all manners of odd places, from barns and caves to empty houses and crypts. This time, they were all cramped in an ancient smugglers hold in a bar.

"What time is it? I need out before the smell of Sunshine over here knocks me out again," Miranda grumbled under her breath as the owner walked overhead.

"How many times do I have to tell you that that wasn't me? We did pass by a pile of dead road kill, remember?" Dante's whisper hissed behind her, earning a swift kick backwards into his gut.

"Both of you shut up!" Elizabeth hissed to them in the dark, aware that there were a few stragglers in the bar above them.

"Can't you two just put aside bickering for one day? You'll get us caught at this rate!" Victoria mumbled as she crouched next to the now-silent Dante.

"Shhhh," Elaine hushed them as she looked up between the floorboards. When most of the people left were asleep or so drunk they couldn't walk and when the bartender/owner stepped out for a break, she motioned them to move out.

As they scrambled quietly from the movable floorboards into the dimly lit bar, they retreated to a dark booth in the far side. When they'd all exited the cramped area and firmly closed the boards again, they sat quietly for a minute, waiting for the owner. When he entered, he was startled by the sudden and silent arrival of this group of apparently gothic kids.

"What'll it be? We'll get busy here in a little bit, so better order now," he said as he wiped his filthy hands on his rag of an apron.

"Nothing. We've only come to kill time for the moment," Michael said soothingly, and the bartender harrumphed and hobbled away, scratching his balding head as he went.

"Gothic? Us? How absurd," Elaine chuckled as the man glanced back, unaware that his mind had just been read, but creepily aware that these people were different.

"Don't do that. Poor man's just not used to six people all in black with pale skins who happen to be sitting silently in the darkest corner of a bar at night," Victoria giggled and pulled her coat closer around her.

"How long is it until we find Isabelle?" Miranda stared at Michael.

"Another day I should think. She tends to stay near her mansion," he answered.

"Good. I'm getting sick of prowling around like animals," she replied.

"Will you tell me why the Reaper wants to see her so badly?" he asked Elizabeth, who only shook her head as a group of young people entered shouting and already drunk into the bar.

"Hey, look at this assemblage," a taller boy shouted unnecessarily loudly and slightly slurring as he stumbled over to the group.

"Halloween's not for a while, freaks," a girl cackled from behind him as they gathered in front of them.

"I'll kindly ask you to leave us be. We're only sitting here minding our own business," Elizabeth scathed.

"When ugly freaks like you hang anywhere near us normal people, you make it our business," one of the drunker boys threatened, slamming the table.

"Yeah, you shits don't even belong in the same species," another voice laughed from the back, causing a drunken chuckle to ring throughout them.

"Leave us 'lone, ya half-wits. Ya don' know what yer dealin wit," Elaine's voice rang with rare anger. Not knowing it, she slipped into her old accent.

"What if I say not? What can a freak like you do to people who're bigger than you?" the taller boy, probably the leader of this pack of drunk thugs, spat in her face and her eyes grew dark.

"She said leave. Her. Alone," Miranda stood from her seat and jabbed the boy in the chest to emphasize her point.

"Don't touch me!" he roughly shoved her backwards, causing her to fall onto Elizabeth, who pushed her back up. Miranda chuckled as the boy glared.

"Don't push your luck, boy," as she hissed, her eyes turned scarlet and her fangs peered from her grinning mouth.

"What the hell are you?!" he went to shove her again and found himself on the floor three feet away from Dante's now standing form, his fist clenched and a frown on his face, eyes a strange turquoise color.

"Break it up or take it outside!" the bartender shouted from the filthy bar, setting down the glass he'd been cleaning to grab a bat from under the bar.

"Miranda, Dante. Calm yourselves, we're leaving," Elizabeth stood smoothly up and brushed by the group without even looking back. Michael quickly followed, but he gave the leader a shove as he passed by him. Victoria and Dante followed suite, with Miranda and Elaine behind them. As she passed the leader, Miranda hissed, showing her fangs, and he flinched away.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth. My temper got away with me again," Miranda sighed as she shook her head. Outside was bitterly cold, and the moon shone brightly over them, illuminating their pale skin.

"I don't want any more of those types of scenes from you. Either of you," Elizabeth said as she motioned to both Dante and Miranda, "we can't afford any extra attention."

"Yes, maestra," she answered.

"Why am I in trouble? I didn't start the fight," Dante objected.

"You didn't help it any. We don't attack humans, boy, and I don't intend to let you start while you're in my coven."

"Fine."

"We'd better get started," Elizabeth sighed and walked over to a parked van nearby. After a moment, she unlocked the door and hotwired it. Turning, she said, "no reason why we can't travel in some semblance of comfort."

As the coven arranged themselves in the vehicle, Miranda sat with Elaine in the middle, with Victoria and Dante in the back. Michael took the wheel as Elizabeth settled into the passenger seat. As they began driving, Miranda turned to Dante and glared.

"What is it now?" he sighed.

"I know what you were trying to do back there, and I'm telling you now, don't bother trying anything like it again. I still won't trust you," she spat.

"I wasn't trying to do anything. I didn't like those brutes any more than you did," he answered.

"Excuses don't work with me, Sunshine. Quit trying to be nice to me. You've been trying to get me to like you since you got here and I'm sick of it."

"I wouldn't dream of it. Why would I try and befriend someone who's like a child in almost every way?" he smirked.

"You're an asshole," she snapped and she turned around to stare in front of her.

"Oh, and by the way, you're welcome," he added, leaning back even more.

"Welcome? For what?!" she whipped around.

"I stopped you from being slapped around by those fools. They'd have beaten you up as soon as you'd said a single syllable more to them," he said.

"I don't need help from a half-breed like you, Dante," she growled.

"You always need help. That's obvious," he smiled even wider, goading her.

"You-," she leapt from her seat to punch him, but was yanked back by Elizabeth, who had a firm grip on her leg.

"Enough out of you two."

With a huff, Miranda crossed her arms and sat back in her seat, fuming quietly. Victoria sighed exasperatedly while Elaine giggled softly. Putting her hand on Miranda's arm, she spoke quietly so only she could hear her.

"You fight like you used to with Victoria, and you know what that means," she teased.

"It is not the same thing," Miranda grumbled, "and no, I don't know what that means."

"Well when she first joined us, you fought with her like this. Now you love her like family. Now you and Dante go at it almost constantly. That means?"

"Don't even go there," she growled as she turned away from Elaine, who only shook her head, a smile planted on her face.

"What are you two babbling about up there?" Victoria asked suspiciously, eyeing Dante and Miranda.

"Nothing," Elaine replied.

"Nothing is never what it seems with you, Elaine. I'll let it drop for now I guess, seeing as Miranda's already as red as her eyes right now," she sniffed, turning to ruffle Dante's hair playfully.

Gently untangling her hands from him, he set them slowly in her own lap and sat back, arms crossed and looking out the window at the rapidly passing landscape. With a slight noise of indignation, Victoria began examining her nails. With a smug smile, Elaine turned towards her still-sulking friend.

"Why so offended, oh spiky one?" she teased and prodded her shoulder.

"New subject, please," she countered, sitting up and turning towards her.

"Maybe Michael can tell us a little more about this Isabelle. Fortune favors the prepared, you know," Victoria interrupted, directing her attention towards the couple up front of the van.

"I only know a little interesting rumor about her human origins. Does Isabella and Ferdinand ring a bell?" Elizabeth answered.

"The uniters of Spain?!" Victoria gasped.

"Only a rumor. And a poorly constructed one at that," Elaine scoffed.

"How would you know?" Victoria sniffed.

"I'm surprised you don't. If Isabelle was the same Isabella that united Spain in the 13th century, she wouldn't be near as old as the other ancients. She wouldn't even be older than Michael," she answered with a sniff of her own.

"Oh yeah, because you claim to come from the roman times, don't you?" Victoria again asked Michael.

"I don't claim, I am from back then. You make it seem as if I tell people that just to impress them," he chuckled.

"Well you do talk a big game most of the time," Elizabeth teased.

"So where are we headed exactly?" Miranda finally spoke. Her face was carefully unreadable.

"Vlad the Impaler's place. After it was left for haunted, she made herself home there. The town near there allows her to feed comfortably without suspicion," he said with a grimace.

"You act disgusted at her eating preferences, but as I recall, you and I once shared the exact same taste in human flesh," Elizabeth said, her eyes clouding as she said it.

"A long time ago. Long enough to see why you quit in the first place. Humans are too precious to be treated as such. Just look at what they can accomplish with art, medicine, weapons, and other things," he answered.

"That's similar to the argument I made to you over and over again. Now you're using it with me," she laughed in response.

"How much longer," Victoria groaned from the back. While Dante was in his unresponsive mood at the moment, she was bored once again. His weird refusal to let her play with him surprised her, but it seemed of little importance.

"Two days at the most," Michael answered. Glancing in the rear view mirror, he noticed Dante staring out the window, a small frown forming. With a small 'hmm', he turned back to driving.

"What?" Elizabeth's eyes asked when she heard the noise from him. With a subtle nod, he motioned towards Dante. As she looked back, she saw what he'd seen and a small smile played on her lips. At Michael's questioning glance, she shook her head, mouthing, "it's nothing."

As the night progressed, with the three girls talking amongst themselves and the couple up front talking quietly, they finally decided to look for a place to sleep for the day.

"There's a town nearby, why can't we just rent a room like normal people and put blankets in the windows?" Victoria whined.

"Oh, that's not odd, six people renting one room for a night, and once it's light out, putting blankets in the windows for no apparent reason," Elaine said.

"Another night spent cramped in some dark cellar like rats isn't exactly appealing either," Miranda added.

"What about an abandoned house or barn?" Dante suddenly spoke up after a night's worth of silent brooding.

"Would it be dark enough?" Elizabeth asked Michael.

"Maybe," he thought for a moment, everyone else in the car waiting for his opinion. Somehow, it'd become valuable to get his approval before deciding an official plan for a night's stay.

"What's that noise?" Miranda was suddenly sitting straight up, straining to hear something from their left.

Before they could answer her, three figures streaked from the forest on their left, ramming the van simultaneously. With a collective shout, they were thrown around as the car tipped on its side and skidded. As it finally stopped with a screech, the van's occupants quickly tried to reorient themselves. Michael and Dante crashed through the windows still intact on the left side of the van above them and climbed out.

"What the hell was that?!" Miranda growled as she wiped the blood from her temple, where she'd hit it against the right window.

"Elaine, are they still here?" Elizabeth said, a sharpness entering her tone.

"Don't even bother, we're right here," a man appeared from the other side of the van, two people behind him. All of them looked about the same age as them. There was one red-headed girl and another boy behind the leader.

"Why did you attack us?" Michael demanded, his eyes glaring coldly at the young man in front.

"We don't take kindly to strangers on our turf," the girl behind him snapped back.

"He didn't ask you, missy, he asked your master," Miranda growled back.

"He's not my master, and don't talk to me, brat!" she hissed back. They both stepped forward threateningly, but Dante and the other boy pulled them back.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Miranda yanked herself away from Dante, who didn't say anything. The other girl also stepped back, glaring at her.

"Was the violent attack necessary?" Elaine spoke to the man still standing in front of the other two.

"Can never be too careful around vampires with histories like these two," the man motioned towards Michael and Elizabeth. With a flash of surprise, Elizabeth scoffed out loud. Michael only stood stone silent, while the rest of the coven voiced various noises of disagreement.

"She's hardly a danger to you!" Victoria announced.

"How dare you insult a third-generation?" Miranda growled.

"That can't possibly be your reasoning behind this attack?!" Dante argued.

"This is ridiculous!" Elaine ended the barrage of comments with a sharp order, and they all turned to stare at her.

"It's ridiculous to defend your own coven from infamous murderers?!" the leader cried, his calm cracked. With a long finger, he jerked his finger at the couple.

"She's never hurt anyone you wouldn't try to feed off of yourself!" she snapped back, with a murmur of agreement from the people behind her.

"Say's you. I doubt she'd tell anyone about her and her boyfriend's not-so-glamorous past," he spat, the two behind him getting more fidgety.

"Let us go. We're not staying here, so we're not a threat. We don't even know your names to track you down," Elizabeth assured, her voice calm despite the anger flashing in her eyes.

"And let you roam free to kill more of your own kind? I don't think so!" with a snarl, the two behind him jumped for her and Michael. With an animal-like roar, Miranda rammed into the girl, catching her mid-leap and sending them sprawling towards the wrecked car.

The boy went to bite Michael's throat, but was halted by a hand around his throat. Before Michael could squeeze hard, however, the boy was violently yanked backwards, Elaine's hands ripping his shirt in the effort. Victoria quickly joined in, helping Elaine to hold the boy motionless.

Dante managed to drag Miranda off of the girl, who was now already unconscious and bleeding from multiple wounds inflicted by hands, nails, teeth, and feet. Miranda was still snarling, her hands and face bloodied and twisting. Not yet aware of who was holding her, she kicked and squirmed, almost getting a hold of his head a few times.

"Jesus, woman, get a hold of yourself! It's just me!" he muttered as she continued to claw at him. She calmed down eventually, still in his firm grip as the leader of the attackers stared in shock at the ghastly scene she'd caused.

"All talk, no skill," Miranda cackled as he bent down to examine the girl. She was still alive, but barely.

"Morgan!" the boy cried, twisting frantically in Elaine and Victoria's grasps. With a surprised noise, Victoria released him, letting him yank free and run to the girl also.

"Morgan?!" Victoria said in disbelief. Even Elizabeth was shocked, her eyes widening slightly. Michael, however, remained unchanged, he just continued to glare at the leader.

"Who the hell's Morgan?" Miranda scoffed as she pried Dante's arms off of her, a semblance of control regained. With a scolding 'hmph' from Dante, he moved away from her.

"Don't you pay attention when Elizabeth tells you anything?! They're Abrielle's turned! Dante, didn't you recognize them?!" Victoria practically shrieked.

"Like I'd recognized people I'd never seen before. Nathan never let me near them," he answered with a hint of impatience.

"Miranda, you idiot, you attacked a third-generation! And one of Abrielle's!" she was now beginning to hyperventilate slightly, her eyes wide with fear.

"How do you know of us?" the leader straightened and glared at the girl.

"The better question is, why are Abrielle's slaves wandering around, not collecting food for her?" Michael finally spoke.

"We are not slaves," the younger boy growled, his back facing away from everyone, still crouched by Morgan's seemingly dead form.

"Walks like a duck, talks like a duck," Miranda muttered, her eyes flashing dangerously towards Ian.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he snapped, turning his head to glare at her.

"Maestra," Elaine warned, putting her hand on her upper arm.

"I suppose if that is truly Morgan, you two must be Kai and Ian," Elizabeth stepped towards the boys, her hands in front of her in a gesture of peace.

"Good guess," the leader, Kai, sneered.

"I imagined my grandfather as older somehow," Dante chuckled. The two boys, Kai and Ian, stared confused.

"Ian, this is Dante," Michael said slowly.

"Dante? Nathan's boy?" Ian said suspiciously, glancing towards Kai, who shrugged slightly.

"At least someone knows genealogy," Victoria scoffed, glancing pointedly towards Miranda, who sniffed and looked away.

"Yeah," Dante said, with a slight grimace, "that's my father's name."

"What lies. Nathan introduced another by such a name to us not a week ago," Kai grunted. When Dante stared incomprehensively, he cleared his throat and clarified, "he showed up with some other vampire and introduced him as Dante, his son."

"How's that possible?" Victoria stepped forward slightly.

"Means my son's rightfully ashamed of a half-breed brat for an son, and he's amending it," Ian stood up and whirled around to face them finally.

"What's wrong with being a half-breed?" Dante said dangerously, daring this man to demean him.

"You're neither human nor vampire, so what use are you? You can't spread our virus elsewhere, yet you live forever without any purpose, for you don't depend on blood for life, do you? You're an insignificant oddity in the world of immortals, and a freak to humans," Ian spat on the ground towards him.

"Watch your mouth, Ian. I don't tolerate my companions to be treated so," Elizabeth ordered. Then, as if he himself were no longer of any importance, she ignored his protests and directed her attention towards Kai.

"What happens now?" Elaine commented, her hand still on Miranda's arm. Victoria was at Dante's side, in a bid to comfort him, while Elizabeth and Michael stood in front of them, facing Kai and Ian.

"We take you to Abrielle, seeing as we obviously can't kill you," Kai said to Elizabeth, who frowned slightly.

"And why can't you kill us? Scared?" Miranda taunted, gaining a scathing glare from Ian in response.

"As much as I hate losing, we're outnumbered, with one of our own injured," he said to Elizabeth, ignoring the goad.

"What makes you think we're going with you to Abrielle just like that?" Michael growled, baring his fangs for once.

"Because I'm already here, brother," a female voice answered him as a woman who could pass for his twin stepped from the forest.

"Maestra," Kai and Ian were both surprised at the undetected appearance of her, and they both fell down into identical kneels.

"Michael, you've gained quite a coven. I'm impressed," the tall, golden-haired girl chuckled as Elizabeth frowned even more while the rest of the coven looked at each other in confusion.

"It's not mine to command, sister," he answered in a voice that could freeze fire.

"You're willingly taking orders from generations below you now? Oh my," she grinned evilly, her fangs protruding from her pale lips.

"My Lady, we caught them trespassing. We tried to kill them-" Kai began, but was cut off when Abrielle's yellow eyes turned towards him with contempt.

"You attacked my own flesh and blood? My brother?" she said, and before Kai could answer, she had his throat in her vice-like grip. As he choked, she added in a softer voice, "we'd best fix those manners of yours…,"

**End Chapter**


	13. Abrielle

The Coven

Chapter 13: Abrielle

"Abrielle…," Kai sputtered around her hands, slowly turning blue from lack of oxygen.

"You dare call me by my name also!" she smiled serenely as she squeezed harder, Ian watching in terror.

"Abrielle, you must stop!" Michael's voice was more questioning than demanding as his sister continued to throttle her own follower.

"Why?" her head turned slightly and she gazed at him with her own brilliantly yellow eyes. Kai had stopped struggling.

"You're killing your own creation, sister. Is that wise?" he appealed to her reasoning. It was too late, however, and she tossed the now limp body aside like a rag doll she'd grown tired of.

"I can always create another like him, brother, you know that. He insulted you, and through that, me, so I was obligated to punish him, was I not?" she grinned again, causing a chill to run up everyone's spine, even Elizabeth. Michael had told her numerous times of his sister's cruelty, but never exact details. She was the essence of what a vampire was imagined to be in old stories.

"You throw away someone's life, just like that?" she said before she could think, and she gasped in shock as she said it out loud.

"He threw away what little life he had when I turned him," Abrielle's strange smile remained in place, even though Elizabeth could tell that she was agitated at the question.

"Did he have a choice?" she persisted.

"We all do," Abrielle answered calmly and she turned back to Michael, "I take it this is your new master?"

"My friend. Elizabeth," he answered.

"Elizabeth? My goodness, what a small world," her grin widened as she turned back to the dark-eyed Elizabeth.

"Sister," Michael warned and his sister sighed.

"A story for another time perhaps," she admitted, then added, "well then I suppose introductions are in order. Brother?"

"Michael, even though he's your brother, is not the one who should be introducing my coven, don't you agree?" Elizabeth interrupted.

"Smart girl," was her reply and she gestured for her to continue.

"My own turned: Miranda and Victoria, Miranda's turned, Elaine, and you already know of Dante, I take," she said formally, the coven nodding as their names were said in turn.

"Fourth generations and down, plus a half-breed. You like diversity," it was a statement, not an accusation as Abrielle turned towards the still-terrified Ian.

"Get up, you baby," she hissed as he scrambled to obey. As soon as he was fully upright, she yanked his chin up and asked, "Where's your precious Alice?"

"I-I don't know, L-lady," he stammered, frozen in fear.

"Why?"

"S-she ran off while we w-were sleeping a f-few nights a-ago."

With another sigh, she pushed him away and turned towards the coven before her. Michael was staring at her with barely concealed disdain while the others wisely stood silent. Miranda's fists clenched once, but she relaxed at a glance from Victoria.

"Well it seems I'm in a bit of a dilemma," she finally stated after a tense moment of silence, "I'm in no mood to go out searching for my servant, and yet I won't trust it to one such as Ian, whose incompetence is clearly represented."

"That's your problem, Abrielle. We're in need to cross your lands," Michael sniffed.

"For what?"

"That's none of your business. I will say, however, that it won't affect you in any way."

"I don't think so, brother," she smiled evilly and stepped forward to stand directly in front of him, almost as tall as he.

"You think you can keep me here?"

"Oh I was never quite as aggressive as you when it came to fighting, but I'm still better than you."

"How so?" he said skeptically.

"I may not be the strongest but neither is your girlfriend," with a sudden movement, she was behind Elizabeth, a knife close to her throat, her hands clamped behind her.

"Elizabeth!" various members shouted as Michael froze for a moment at the sight of the knife drawing a drop of blood from her pale neck.

"Let me go! Now! Maestra!" Miranda was fighting furiously to escape Elaine's grip on her and attack Abrielle, who laughed at the attempt.

"Abrielle, you witch," Victoria hissed, but dared not to come closer than where she was, eyeing the knife, which she now noticed was burning Elizabeth's flesh. Even though she was in obvious pain, Elizabeth didn't utter a sound.

"What is that blade made of?" Michael whispered, afraid of the answer.

"Guess," a maniacal giggle escaped Abrielle's mouth as she whispered something in Elizabeth's ear, causing her to shut her eyes and clamp her mouth shut tight.

"From a cross?" Dante guessed as the blade made a sickening sizzling sound every time it barely touched her neck. Another giggle was the response.

"How can you bear to touch it?" Victoria growled, her violet eyes never leaving the blade.

"A handle of blood-soaked leather. Bet you never thought of that one," she smiled even wider.

"Wouldn't you still burn, you bitch?" Miranda snarled, still restrained by Elaine, who watched with a blank look on her face.

"Didn't you hear her say 'blood-soaked'? As fast as the metal burns her, she's healed by it," Dante said quietly, glaring at the former holder of his loyalty.

"And I don't tolerate name-calling, child," Abrielle added in a mocking tone that caused a renewed struggle from the red-eyed girl.

"Abrielle, please," Michael whispered, his eyes also stuck to the lethal knife at Elizabeth's throat.

"Please what? Release your girlfriend? Let you go on your merry way? No."

"Lady Abrielle, I know what would persuade you to free her," Elaine said, her face still blank. Miranda immediately stopped struggling to stare at her in horror.

"Not another deal! We can't take another!"

"Do you?" Abrielle's smile faded a little as Miranda continued to protest.

"I do."

"How?"

"I have the Gift," at this, Abrielle's grin returned, and she shifted Elizabeth so she could face Elaine more directly.

"And what is it that I want?"

"We'll locate your Alice for you. We're expendable, numbered, talented, and capable of finding her," she said matter-of-factly and Abrielle giggled.

"Not that I don't trust you vagrants, but I want insurance."

"Anything," Michael whispered, still entranced by the blade.

"A contract, signed by each and every one of you. In blood."

Another tense silence rang through the group, but Elaine already knew what the decision would be. Elizabeth was too important to all of them to risk losing this close to the red moon.

"No other way?" Miranda pleaded Elaine, and with a somber shake of her head, she turned and nodded at Abrielle. Victoria and Michael eagerly nodded, wanting Elizabeth's safety as soon as possible.

"And you, Dante?" Abrielle grinned at him, daring him to go against his new companions for her sake.

"If it is the only way to guarantee safety from you also," he compromised, earning a nasty glare from Miranda.

"Of course," she giggled. Elaine couldn't help but think that her laugh was getting annoying fast.

"Then I too will sign," he caved in, putting his head down in defeat, to the glee of Abrielle, who looked around her with satisfaction. She loved demonstrating her authority over those below her and even some the same generation as her.

"As I said before, brother, I may not be the strongest out of us, but I'm the smartest. I always win," she nodded at Ian, who raced off back into the forest to return shortly with a piece of paper and an old quill pen.

"Here, Lady," he looked down as he held them out to her, afraid of her malicious grin.

"Who's first?" she nodded towards the pen, keeping her hold on Elizabeth, who was staring blankly in front of her, obviously furious. She added, "you must say your contract as you sign. Seals it better. That way, if you renege, the Reaper can kill you without a qualm."

Michael stepped forward and snatched the pen from the frightened Ian, who scampered off as soon as he'd given the paper to him also. Following him was Miranda, Elaine, Victoria, and lastly, Dante. He signed it hesitantly, saying the terms quietly.

"All free, princess," Abrielle released Elizabeth as soon as she'd grabbed her, grasping the contract instead. As Elizabeth rubbed her neck, she added, "fresh blood'll heal that best, dear."

With another maniac laugh, she walked away, leaving the coven to spend a moment in shock. With a jerk, Miranda yanked herself free for the second time that night and scowled.

"Now what?" Victoria said as she tried to examine Elizabeth's wound without much success, for she turned away every time she tried.  
"Now we find somewhere to sleep for tonight," Michael sighed in relief as he calmed down from his slight panic.

"What about Alice?" Dante asked, looking at the still-unconscious form of Morgan, abandoned by her own family, and added, "and what about her? We're going to leave her here to die?"

"It's close to dawn, and unlike you, the sun kills our kind. As for Morgan, we can't afford another person with us," Michael stated.

"I won't leave another to die like that," he objected.

"You'll have to. We're leaving," as he turned to walk on the road, he stopped as Elizabeth stood beside Dante, a reproachful stare pointed his way.

"What?"

"I'm still the leader of this coven, and I agree with him. She will not be abandoned by me, even if she's a former enemy," she glared.

"Elizabeth, you don't know that she won't try to kill you as soon as she's up. I won't risk your life like that again," he answered.

"You'll have to," she mocked his former statement and nodded for Dante to pick her up.

"This isn't the wisest decision, but I agree," Elaine added.

"I guess its fine. She's getting tied down as soon as we find a place to stay the night, though. She's vicious," Miranda grumbled.

"I agree with Michael. She's too much of a threat if we save her. Leave her," Victoria protested, but everyone ignored her and they began to walk, Michael and Victoria straggling behind them.

They came upon a town soon, and they found an empty, condemned house with a dark cellar, perfect for their purposes. As soon as they settled in, Miranda bound Morgan's hands and feet as she said she would, and fell asleep not long after beside Elaine and Elizabeth. Victoria opted to lay next to Dante, but when she tried to snuggle up next to him, he shrugged her away and turned on his side, facing the opposite wall. With a sigh, she slept as well. Even Michael drifted off, waiting for the dawn heat before doing so.

"What, what, what," Miranda woke from her sleep as someone gently shook her.

"I know where Alice is," Elaine was whispering as Miranda rubbed her eyes.

"Okay, and why couldn't it wait until morning?" she muttered.

"Because we can't find her!" she whispered harshly. Now that Miranda was more awake, she could tell that something was wrong.

"I thought you just said you know where she is."

"I do, but we must not find her!"

"Why?"

"Because Abrielle'll kill her!" Elaine was close to tears now, and Miranda stared.

"Why would she? Alice didn't do anything that we know of."

"That's just it. The vision wouldn't tell me why, but that doesn't matter."

"Well we can't just break our deal with Abrielle. The Reaper will destroy us before she even finds out," Miranda said.

"We have to find a way. Alice isn't like the others. She likes humans, like we do. That's part of the reason she fled. She's sick, too," Elaine pleaded.

"We're not sick!"

"I didn't mean it that way. I mean, to add to her traits, she's dying," tears were silently falling down her cheeks.

"How can that be possible? She's immortal, same as us," Miranda protested, sitting up and trying not to wake the others.

"Not like us. She's lived for some other reason, but not by being a vampire. Another type of immortal."

"There is no other type!"

"I don't know! I can't see anymore than that!" Elaine tried to quiet her voice as she became more agitated. After a moment, Miranda spoke softer.

"We need to tell Elizabeth."

"I'd rather wait until evening. She's burdened as it is," Elaine quickly protested.

"What's more important to her than us, her family? She needs to know what you've seen so we don't go walking into something unprepared," Miranda went to stand up, but was pulled back down.

"I'll tell her myself when everyone else is up. Her only rest these days is in her sleep next to Michael. I won't disturb it."

"Fine, but then why did you wake me this early?" Miranda crossed her arms and sat back down.

"Well I obviously had to tell someone! And you're my closest friend, so why wouldn't I?"

"Okay, I understand I guess," Miranda sighed, "but can we go back to sleep now? I'm tired from the fight with Morgan, and we need our rest also."

"Yeah. Good day, maestra. Don't roll into the sunlight accidentally."

"…shut up."

They fell asleep again, unaware that Morgan, facing away from them on the ground, was again conscious, and had heard the whole conversation. Opening her eyes, she glanced around, sizing up her odds of escaping. When she realized the number of people and the fact that it was daylight out, she sighed quietly and closed her eyes, waiting for everyone else to wake up.

_-Break-_

In the evening, they all woke to the sound of arguing and hissing. Elizabeth was up first, and she saw Miranda standing in front of a still-bound Morgan, who was squabbling with her. Michael woke up right after her, with Dante and Victoria a few moments later.

"How dare you tie me up like some filthy animal!" Morgan was shouting.

"Well what else could we do? Let you come to and kill us while we slept before you slipped back to your master?!" Miranda shrieked back.

"It was almost daylight when I was knocked out! Where could I have gone! Into the sunlight?"

"How should I know?! We weren't gonna give you the chance anyways!"

"Maestra!" Elaine pleaded, once again holding Miranda's arm firmly as the bickering continued.

"Is this how you treat every vampire you meet! By tying them up?" Morgan whipped her head to shout at Elizabeth, who sighed.

"Calm yourselves. Morgan, you did try to attack me, if you recall. Miranda was only acting in our best interests," she said, causing Miranda to smirk at Morgan.

"That doesn't mean she was completely justified," Dante said, and the red-eyed Miranda snapped her head in his direction.

"Excuse me?!"

"I didn't say you were wrong! I just said that in hindsight, it might've been handled a little more delicately," he quickly defended himself.

"More delicately?! She's a vicious killer!"

"I'm right here, and no, I'm no killer!" Morgan interrupted.

"What was the attack for, then? A friendly warning?" Victoria scowled.

"Lady Abrielle ordered us to do so! She said to stop you by any means!"

"She had no clue we were passing through her territory!" Victoria answered.

"Lies! She told us to specifically to stop a coven that included her brother and another younger man who answered by the name of Dante! She said you were trying to take our land for yourselves!" Morgan was beginning to panic.

"Haven't you heard anything at all about us? We don't drink human blood," Elizabeth said calmly, stepping between Miranda and Morgan.

"What?"

"I gave it up a long time ago, and my turned have never tasted it. We have no need for your lands."

"Then why are you so close to Isabelle? She thrives on it. You've no reason to be this far into our country."

"That's none of your business. In any case, our business is delayed now because of your Lady. We're to find Alice and bring her back," Elizabeth sighed.

"Alice? What does the Lady want with Ian's wife?" Morgan now looked confused.

"I didn't ask. Do you have any clue as to her whereabouts?"

"Like I'd tell you if I did," she spat.

"Morgan, I'd suggest you do as we ask, or you'll find yourself bound and set in a nice, sunny hillside right before dawn," Michael threatened.

"Michael," Elizabeth warned. At her stern gaze, he huffed and crossed his arms.

"Elizabeth, I…I know where Alice is already, but I need to speak with you first," Elaine said hesitantly.

"Alright."

They walked up the stairs into the main floor while the others were left to sit in the cellar and stew amongst themselves.

"What does Elaine have to say to Elizabeth that she can't just tell us all?" Victoria asked Miranda.

"How would I know?" she bluffed.

"Don't play that card. You two are as close as Siamese twins. She never tells her something without first telling you," she said.

"Well she didn't tell me this time," Miranda huffed.

"Translated: you aren't going to tell us," Dante added.

Before she could answer, they heard arguing above them, and they went upstairs to see what was going on. They walked in on Elizabeth and Elaine arguing loudly, unaware of them for another moment.

"We've no other option!" Elizabeth was saying firmly.

"But Elizabeth! We mustn't! Please, I beg of you!" Elaine implored.

"What's going on, love?" Michael finally said, and they both snapped their heads back at the group, who stood silently watching.

"Abrielle's going to kill Alice when we return her," she answered hotly, "but we can't deviate from our contract."

"We must find another way around it! Please, she's not like Abrielle," Elaine begged.

"Which is probably why she wants to kill her. I hate it too, but we've no business interfering with other covens, you know that."

"Maestra, can't we play on our own words?" Victoria suggested.

"How? We all stated that we'd bring her back," Elizabeth said skeptically.

"But what if we brought her to Abrielle, then before she could be killed, help her escape? I don't want another innocent vampire dying because that witch feels like it," Victoria said.

"You say it like she's easy to fool. Abrielle's old and she's smart. Not to mention that none of us save Michael's ever fought her before," Elizabeth sighed, rubbing her head.

"Uh, guys? Where's Morgan?" Dante suddenly asked, and they all realized that the woman wasn't among them. They heard Miranda giggle.

"I left her downstairs, of course," she smirked.

"Maestra! That's rude!" Elaine rushed downstairs. They heard her apologizing as Morgan stormed upstairs, heading straight for Miranda, who only smiled.

"You left me tied up alone, you brat!" she spat as she was held back from slapping her by Elaine, who was still apologizing.

"I know that," Miranda was still smiling.

"Miranda, she's no danger to us anymore, you idiot. She doesn't have Ian to help her," Dante scolded, trying to conceal a small grin of his own.

"Kai and Ian could destroy you without even breaking a nail," Morgan teased.

"I guess it's lucky for me that Kai's dead and Ian's a coward, isn't it?" Miranda snapped.

"Miranda! Enough!" Elizabeth ordered as Morgan's face froze in shock and disbelief.

"Fine," Miranda scoffed and walked to the other side of the room.

"Kai's what?" Morgan asked, her face even paler than usual.

"Morgan," Elizabeth started, and she took a moment to find the right words, then said, "Kai was killed last night. Abrielle strangled him. We had to leave the body in order to find somewhere safe for ourselves in time for sunrise."

For a long moment, she didn't say anything, and blood-red tears began falling as she finally registered the news. She bit her lip, but they could still hear her quiet sobs as the stood silently watching.

"I'm sorry I'm the one who had to tell you," Elizabeth added, and in an attempt to comfort her, she shooed everyone out of the room, leaving them alone.

"The truly sad thing is that I'm not surprised. We all know that she does whatever she pleases with others, but I never thought he'd go first," and Morgan sobbed harder, covering her blood-stained face with her hands.

"Were you and he close?" Elizabeth asked, worried that it might be rude to do so.

"My one and only," she managed around her tears.

"Then I'm truly sorry. I know how losing your love can hurt," Elizabeth said quietly, aware that the others were only in the adjacent room, probably listening.

"How would you know of such pain? You know nothing of my grief," Morgan snarled, dropping her hands into fists at her side as she glared at her.

"I'll tell you something even Elaine does not know, because we share a type of pain that only people like us can comprehend," Elizabeth said slowly.

"You had a true love?" Morgan guessed.

"Yes, but they know that. They also have a rough idea why it died," she answered with a sigh.

"Oh. So he's still alive?"

"You've already met him."

"One of your own coven?" at Elizabeth's nod, she said with a gasp, "how can you bear it? I would've killed me worse if Kai and I had just stopped loving one another and then stayed in the same family."

"That's not the worst of it. He and the others think I still hate him, when I never really hated him to begin with."

"what?"

"I fell in love with Michael before I was even an immortal, and it's a love that's lasted for eternity. And I won't ever tell him," she said with a sad smile.

After another silent moment, Morgan sighed and wiped her face with her shirt. Then she said, "well you're wrong."

"About what?"

"Being alike," Morgan sniffed, trying to reign in her tears, "you're in a lot more pain than I."

Elizabeth was silent for a moment, staring off into space while Morgan's crying subsided slowly. When it was deadly quiet, they heard a persistent knock and Miranda's annoyed voice.

"Can we come back in now?"

"Are you going to behave yourself?" Elizabeth called, a smile beginning in her eyes.

"I guess so," she answered, and they heard a soft thud as Elaine punched Miranda's arm and she amended, "I mean, yeah."

"Are you just going to drown yourself in denial, then? Surround yourself with people who distract you from your suffering?" Morgan said quietly.

"Do you know of anything more soothing?" she answered sadly, and called for the others to enter before she could answer. They all filed in.

**-End Chapter-**


	14. Apologies and Stories

The Coven

Chapter 14: Apologies and Stories

"About time, the stench of these two about suffocated me," Miranda complained as she gestured towards Michael and Dante.

"Maybe it was your own self you're smelling, girly. I smell just fine," Dante answered with a smirk, and Miranda glared.

"I think I know what I smell like, Sunshine, and it's definitely not me!"

"Maestra, stop!" Elaine said, with a playful smile, "every opportunity, you two are at each other like cats and dogs."

"Well how else am I supposed to react to this?" she answered, and Dante snorted.

"Simple. Shut up and deal with it."

Miranda took a step forward to threaten him, but Elaine shook her head and put her arm in front of her. With a sharp sigh, she stomped over to Elizabeth, who was now standing up.

"Always so defensive," Michael said as he, too, moved to Elizabeth's other side.

"I wonder why," Victoria teased, putting her arm around Dante's, but as soon as she tried, he pulled away. With a sigh, she crossed her arms instead.

"What's going to happen now?" Elaine redirected the conversation, aware of Miranda's grateful glance as she did so.

"Well I suppose we try and find Alice, thinking of ways to save her without breaking our contract with Abrielle, I suppose," Elizabeth answered.

"Will you let me go on my way?" Morgan asked.

"Maestra, how do we know that she won't just run to Abrielle as soon as we do so?" Miranda protested.

"Because I've hated her for a long time, and now, I have the ability to leave," she answered vehemently.

"How?" Victoria inquired.

"Thanks to Missy over there, Lady Abrielle thinks I'm dead or dying, so I'm useless to her."

"Why wouldn't she seek you out to finish you then?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because she doesn't care that much about her blood gatherers. Not worth the effort," Michael answered for her.

"Where will you go?" Dante interjected.

"Away. America probably. That's the safest place I can be for the moment. The Lady hates there with a passion all its own."

"Then I suggest you hunt first. You're too badly wounded to travel very fast right now," Elizabeth said.

"You're right, I'm afraid. I haven't felt this worn since I was turned," Morgan said, with a meaningful glance at Miranda.

"Then you should go. It'll take you till dawn with your injuries to scavenge enough blood," Elaine said.

"Even from humans," Elizabeth said with a grimace.

With a nod of agreement, Morgan took off towards the town nearby, but before long stopped when she realized that Miranda had come with her.

"What? Almost killing me once wasn't enough?" she snapped.

"I came to apologize, but if all your going to be is a bitch, then fine," as she turned to huff away, Morgan grabbed her arm.

"I…I'm sorry. I'm not usually this angry."

"I guess I'm partially to blame for that, being rude about Kai," Miranda folded her arms.

"Well you don't like me. Why should you care what upsets me?"

"Well I may hate your guts, but I'm sorry about him, and Elaine says apologizing helps," Miranda said.

"You're apologizing because your own turned said so?" Morgan said, confusion replacing her features.

"Well I'm not accustomed to feeling sorry about anything," she snapped, beginning to pace a little.

"But you listen to the person you turned? Not the other way around?" Morgan was plainly surprised by this.

"Well duh. I've always trusted Elaine's word, and I mean always," Miranda said, "she's never wrong."

"Why doesn't she listen to you instead? You are her master, after all."

"I'm no such thing. We're family. You don't disrespect family."

"Family? Your coven must be heaven compared to mine, if you can call it that. More like a totalitarian monarchy," Morgan sighed.

"like a what? Nevermind," Miranda said, "anyways, I'm sorry about before. I didn't know him, and I shouldn't have spoken like that."

"Fine. You may go," Morgan waved her hand, but as Miranda made to run off, she stopped her again, "one more thing."

"What."

"What was your coven-er, family teasing you about when you bickered with the young Dante?"

"None of your business. Besides, it's not like Elaine's right about everything," Miranda snapped.

"What was Elaine supposedly wrong about?"

"Like I said, none of your business. Good luck and all that," and she ran off, leaving Morgan to run humanly because of her injuries.

"Did she accept?" Dante was waiting outside when Miranda arrived back at the house.

"Accept what?"

"Your apology," he stepped towards her.

"None of your business, Sunshine," Miranda sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. Already, it'd grown down to her shoulders.

"Why do you insist on teasing me?" he scoffed as he crossed his arms and looked toward the horizon where the sun would eventually rise.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, tired all of a sudden.

"Do you remember your last sunrise?" he asked suddenly, looking at her.

"I don't think that far back. It hurts too much," she said, looking out at the same horizon as him.

"Sunrises and sunsets are so beautiful," he mused, "I can't imagine giving them up for something as hollow as immortality."

"I had nothing left to live for, but Elizabeth offered something to help me heal that pain," she confessed, slightly taken aback at her frank honesty, "I didn't want to die, without a family who'd love and remember me when I was gone, proving that I was worth something after all. She gave me a new sort of family. One of my own choosing."

"At least you were given a choice, unlike so many others. I thank God everyday that I didn't have to give up the sun for a life I didn't choose," he answered.

"I never even missed the sun or feeling things other than thirst until I met Elaine."

"Could you tell me about how you two even met, or is that to personal for a fiend like me to know," he smiled.

"I suppose I could. I haven't thought about it in a long time though. It seems ages ago," she smiled slightly back.

"Thank you, but first, why aren't you picking a fight with me right now? I half expected it."

"Well for the first time, you're not an asshole or a suck-up right now," she answered.

"Fine words coming from a woman who picks fights with everyone who even looks at her the wrong way," he scoffed back.

"I do not!"

"How do you explain the bar?" he asked.

"I don't tolerate insults to my family, is all," she sniffed, "now do you want to hear the story, or not?"

"Fine, I'll let you tell me," he smiled again, sitting down on the old railings of the porch, motioning for her to do so also. She leaned against it instead, facing away from the sunrise horizon.

**-Break-**

She'd grown up in the circus, aware of vampires and such since she was little and understood her Gift. Not knowing her parents, as many children did at the time, she grew up not understanding the concept of a decent family. The circus workers like her were hardly her friends even, they were just there for the money and acceptance that the visitors gave them almost every night.

I hadn't been turned very long, hardly a few years. Still, I was anxious about these circus people. For some reason, they all smelled so good, and I'd already hunted not a day before. Elizabeth had never let me feed from humans, so I was confused by this new and sudden urge to sink my fangs into their necks and wrists, whatever was venerable.

I went to pass by her booth, on my way to find the man who owned the place. Elizabeth had said that she was to meet with him, and if I wanted, I could find her there. I stopped when I smelled her from outside the tent. I went in.

Elaine was sitting silently, apparently unaware that I'd come in. I was wrong, however, when she stood up and motioned for me to sit down.

"It's rare for a human to see even a glimpse of a single vampire, and here I am, greeting the third one within a few years. Must be a one in a million chance," she said absently as I sat down warily across from her. She seemed surprisingly young and beautiful to be working in such an odd place with those dirty, desperate people.

"Maybe you're going insane, child, for I am no such thing," I lied, not willing to give her any sense that I was shocked by her perception.

"You don't need to feign innocence with me, I know what you are. With my inner sight, I see everything true around me," she smiled as she pulled out a deck of strange cards, "would you like your future told? No charge."

"I already know my future, girl. And I insist that I'm not the monster you insist I am," I scoffed.

"You and I both know that you're curious. Also, I know that you're tempted by the life blood that's running through my veins. Like I said, my gift tells me the truth," Elaine looked up from her cards, staring straight through me.

"If it tells you such truths, then tell me who supposedly made me a vampire," I taunted, certain that she'd fumble randomly.

"Elizabeth, former companion of Michael. I've met her personally, you know. If ever there was a compassionate vampire, she's it," she answered calmly, aware of the shock she'd just awakened in me.

"Well I admit, I'm surprised and even more curious now," I managed to choke out.

"I know. About your future? Will you take my offer now? I don't often give my services out for free," she laughed lightly as she began shuffling the cards.

"Why are you so insistent on reading my future?" I asked as I did what she told me to during the reading.

"Because I too, am curious. Your's is harder to read. Normally, a fortune is like looking into a window. Your's is like looking through a foggy mirror. Maybe it's because you're immortal, but even Elizabeth and the other girl's futures were easier to read," she explained, laying three cards down face up.

"Well? Am I damned to hell for choosing immortality?" I snorted at her frown as she looked at the cards.

"I don't see anything at all. How strange," Elaine straightened and sighed.

"It seems your talents have disappointed you," I scoffed.

"Not at all. You're just an unpredictable character is all," she stated and she stood silently, flicking her hair behind her shoulders.

"Am I being dismissed?" I chuckled.

"Miranda, what are you up to in here?" Elizabeth walked in, her face hidden by a dark hood. She smiled at Elaine in greeting and nodded at me, "I see you've met Elaine."

"She said that you'd met," I sighed and stood also.

"We'll meet again, I hope," Elizabeth waved lightly as she followed me out, "until then, be safe."

As we left, I caught that delicious scent again, coming from behind me. As I turned, I saw her staring knowingly at me from in her dark, incense-infected tent. It was then I knew that we'd see each other soon.

**-Break-**

"And that's how we met," Miranda finished, standing straight up again.

"Your first victim, then?" Dante scoffed, a hint of disdain in his statement.

"Did I say that? No," she snapped back, blushing slightly at her frank honesty with this man who'd just recently been untrustworthy to her.

"Well you said that Elizabeth hadn't ever let you bite a human. Also, Elaine smelled so irresistible to you. Why else would you bite her?" he reasoned.

"A story for me to know and you to never even have a clue of," she taunted.

"I guess I'll have to wait then. You still don't trust me enough to even tell me one more story," he sighed.

"You'd have better luck with one of the others. Try Victoria. She'd have no qualms about telling you anything you desired to know," Miranda said.

"I know. She's quite taken with me, I've noticed," he said with a hint of sadness in the way he said it.

"Is that a bad thing?" Miranda queried, intent on scolding him if he thought so.

"No, but I don't feel the same way," he stood up as well, adding, "that's between you and me, missy."

"I'm not obligated to keep your secrets," she answered with a smirk, aware that she had just been given excellent blackmail material.

"You are now that I'm one of your companions, even if it wasn't by your choosing. Your own self-confessed loyalty to family assures me of that," he answered.

"You're back to being an asshole," she scoffed and turned to walk inside, aware of him staring at her as she left. When she'd gone, he sighed silently, still staring out at the just now beginning sunrise. Feeling the start of the sun's warmth hit his face, he couldn't help but wish that the others could feel it too.

**-End Chapter-**


	15. Alice

The Coven

Chapter 15: Alice

"Wake up, it's sunset!" Elaine shook Miranda roughly until she groaned and swatted at her, telling her she was awake.

"Why do we need to be up this early?" Victoria grumbled as she sat up from beside Dante, who was already fully awake and standing.

"Because I just saw Alice in a place not far from here! We need to find her before she leaves!" Elaine was moving around, gathering their things. They'd been in the house for a week, unable to go anywhere without knowing where they were going in the first place.

"Wake up, love, Elaine says she's found where Alice is," Michael gently shook Elizabeth, who opened her eyes instantly and shot up into a sitting position.

"Where?" she said as she rubbed her eyes.

"Not far. She's in the same bar we were at last week!" Elaine was practically running around the room grabbing things and shoving them in their bags.

"Why are you so eager now? I thought you didn't want to find her," Victoria scoffed as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

"Abrielle knows it, too!" she threw the bags at random to the nearest people to her and ran out the door before anyone else could react.

They ran the whole way to the bar, passing the remains that were left of the car after the tow truck had taken it away. As usual, Michael and Elizabeth were in the lead, with Miranda and Dante following, and Victoria trailing behind. Elaine was far ahead of them, almost in a panic.

When they reached the dirty bar, they stopped simultaneously and searched the area quietly for signs of Abrielle. When they were all sure that she hadn't been there yet, they cautiously entered the bar. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, just a few drunks. Then they noticed a woman sitting at the table they'd sat at, her head down.

"Alice?" Elizabeth said, slightly panting. They'd sprinted far in a little amount of time. The woman lifter her head and glared at the group with dark eyes.

"You must be Abrielle's new dogs," she sniffed as she cradled the drink they hadn't seen before.

"Dogs?!" Miranda crossed her arms and glared back at the small woman with her red eyes, her hair falling in front of them.

"Forced to sniff me out and haul me to my death, that's what you are," Alice grumbled drunkenly as she put her head back down.

"How do you know about us?" Elizabeth demanded as she yanked the drink away from the short-haired brunette and put it on the opposite side of the table.

"I told her, of course," a familiar insane giggle formed from behind Alice and they backed away quickly. Michael only glared at her.

"Abrielle, why did you have us go under contract to find her when you knew where she was at all along?" he seethed as Alice choked out a sob and covered her face in her hands and swayed in her seat.

"I think that's a discussion best had other than here. Follow me," she commanded and she left, grabbing Alice by her collar and half-dragged her out. Elizabeth growled and waved for the others to follow her as she walked outside.

Once they were outside, Abrielle shoved Alice in front of her and started to run with her in front of her. The others had no choice but to follow them grudgingly. They ran a long time before arriving at a grand mansion gate.

"Abrielle, why are we here?" Michael snarled as Alice whimpered, unable to stand on her own in her drunkenness.

"You'll see," she giggled again as she leaped over the gate in one easy movement, taking Alice with her.

"Maestra, I know where we are," Elaine whispered to Miranda as they stormed behind the insane Abrielle into the front door, entering a large hallway with paintings lining the sides.

"As do I. This is Isabelle's home," Michael growled softly and the rest of them shivered. Abrielle had brought them there for some horrifying purpose, they were sure of it.

"Maestra, I'm scared," Elaine whispered even softer in Miranda's ear so only she could hear her.

"We're all at least a little afraid, Elaine," Miranda whispered back, aware that Elaine was shaking.

"This was in my vision of Alice," she said, fear in her eyes, "this is where she died."

They grew silent as they realized why the paintings seemed so strange. They were all portraits of vampires, from the ancients to Elaine in generations. When the girls saw their own faces in paint, they stopped and stared. They looked as they did when they were human, with regular complexions, eyes, and teeth.

"What is this place? How does Isabelle have paintings of all of us?" Elizabeth's voice rang in the hallway, making it seem stronger than she felt.

"Look! Dante's here, too!" Victoria gasped as she saw his face, cleaner and less worn, staring defiantly out at them from a painting like their's.

"Didn't Michael mention this to you? Every time someone with vampire in them pops into existence, a painting appears here. It freezes our mortality forever," Abrielle called from further up the hallway, still dragging Alice beside her.

"Is that our immortality?" Victoria gaped at other paintings, reading the names below them.

"Even Isabelle doesn't know why they're here," Abrielle scoffed and yanked at Alice impatiently, "you can stare all you like later, but we've business to attend to now."

They followed reluctantly and they entered another room not unlike the room they hung out in at Elizabeth's mansion. It had big chairs and books that lined the walls, complete with a huge fireplace, already lit, in the center of the opposite wall.

"Wait here, with this thing. I'll fetch Her Highness," Abrielle tossed Alice at Dante, who stumble as he caught her. She struggled to sit up as he put her in one of the chairs.

"Michael, what's going on?" Elizabeth said as they either sat or found somewhere in the room to stand while they waited.

"I don't know. Isabelle never talks to me, but apparently, her and Abrielle are getting along fine," he scowled as he paced the room.

"Maybe we can talk to her without Abrielle. That's all we need to do, isn't it?" Victoria took a shaky breath and looked around at the books.

"We don't know how likely she is to agree to that. I'm almost afraid of what business Abrielle referred to," Elizabeth rubbed her temples with her fingers and sat heavily in another chair.

"Isabelle's not the one you need to fear," Elaine shuddered at some horrid memory, "Abrielle's capable of far worse."

"Where's Morgan?" Alice shrieked as she shot up from her chair, her eyes bright and unclouded by drink.

"She left us. I don't know where she's gone to," Elizabeth said calmly and asked, "why aren't you drunk right now? You were just about ready to pass out or puke a second ago."

"I'll kill that little scheming bitch!" Alice screamed as she ripped out books from the shelves and threw them in frustration.

"I take it she's the one who got you drunk," Miranda growled. She was angry that she'd been so easily fooled.

"Not drunk, bewitched is the better word! Little whore!" Alice snarled.

"Alice, I'd suggest you calm down and tell us what happened or we can't help you," Elizabeth suggested as she straightened her head scarf.

"Why should I trust that you'll help me anyways?! Look what it did to me the last time I did!" Alice snapped and threw another book into the fire.

"Because we're not Morgan or Abrielle," Miranda snarled back.

"So? You still signed a contract with her, which is bad enough!"

"We had no choice!" Victoria scoffed.

"Everyone has a choice!" Alice shrieked back, almost frothing at the mouth in her temper.

"Not when your maestra's being threatened with a silver blade!" Miranda screamed in the small woman's face, causing her to quiet down a little.

"Are you willing to listen now?" Elizabeth said after a tense moment of silence.

"I suppose I have no other option, do I?" she huffed and crossed her arms.

"Not if you value your fingers," Miranda growled.

"Enough, Miranda. We were tricked, the same as you. We want to know what Morgan did to you. She didn't seem capable of such malice the last time we met," Elizabeth sighed and motioned for Miranda to stand by her.

"Well Abrielle probably told you that I'd run away, right?" Alice began reluctantly, unsure of whether she could really trust them.

"Well we were there when Ian told her that, and she contracted us to find you. She didn't tell us why," Elizabeth nodded.

"I did, in fact, run away, but the others knew about it beforehand. Ian even wanted to go with me," she smiled sadly at the memory of her husband arguing with her before she'd left.

"Well, I managed to find a place not far from here, right by the coast. I'd thought I was safe," she growled at the end of 'safe', and continued, "Morgan found me a few days ago. 'Abrielle's gone north,' she says, 'come back, Isabelle will surely keep you safer than anywhere else. She is Abrielle's maestra, after all.'"

"And you believed her?" Elaine said, but the tone in her voice made it sound more like a statement.

"Not at first, she kept arguing with me, sayin' things like Ian was miserable, and Abrielle was beating him more and more now that I'd gone, and that I'd be doing him a favor by coming back. Scheming liar," Alice seethed, "I broke down and agreed to come back. She brought me to that bar, sat me down, and brought me that drink. 'to calm your nerves,' she said. I was too worried about Ian to suspect she was up to something."

"And we know the rest," Michael interrupted. He was visibly angry, his fists clenched and his jaw set firmly into a deep frown.

"And she'll die painfully for it!" Alice snarled again.

"For now, I think it's best we calm down. Isabelle must want to see us for a reason and I doubt Abrielle will kill you while we're here," Elizabeth said.

"I suppose you're speaking sense," Alice muttered, unwilling to admit that she was probably right.

"Are you the same Alice that's the grandmother of Dante, the half-breed?" Elaine asked suddenly. When Dante looked at her quizzically, she shook her head slightly.

"Why?" she answered skeptically.

"I'm just curious is all. I've heard many things," Elaine said innocently.

"Ian and I do have twins, and I've heard about Nathan's unplanned child. I've never, however, met the man myself," Alice answered carefully.

"But we were told that there was a young man introduced to you as Dante not long ago," she said with a fake puzzled look.

"That imposter was of no relation to me!" she snapped.

"Well how would you know? You just said that you'd never met him," Miranda joined in, tuning in to Elaine's plan.

"I haven't. Kai went around introducing some moron as Dante, covering up what he saw as a shameful blot to his name and family," she scowled.

"Would you recognize your grandson if you saw him?" Elaine asked, her face a carefully placed mask of pure curiosity.

"I already have," Alice smirked and turned her head to look at Dante full on the face, "boy, I never thought you'd stray this far from your father."

Dante froze for a minute, seemingly at a loss for words as everyone stared in slight shock. Miranda recovered first, shaking her head.

"How did you know? And why aren't you surprised he's here?"

"Because Nathan gave me a picture of him a long time ago, before he ran off with his little human. I knew the boy would find his way into our world eventually, but not without his father," Alice said, pulling out a tattered and old photo of a slightly younger Dante, smiling like a boy.

"You knew about me? And you never sought me out?" Dante said, a frown appearing on his face, "I spent 70 years trying to figure out what I was."

"You think I was free to do as I wished, with Abrielle breathing down my neck?" Alice sniffed, putting the picture back in her pocket.

"Not to interrupt this lovely revelation of sorts, I suggest we ready ourselves for our meeting with Isabelle," Michael said, and straightened his clothes, hinting for the others to do the same.

After they'd brushed off what dust they'd collected in their running and stood or sat straight, they waited patiently for the ancient to arrive. They didn't have to wait long.

"Welcome to my humble house," a woman strode in confidently, with hair as red as flames and eyes as red as her hair. Abrielle looked faintly annoyed as she followed her maestra inside the room, her hair looking not near as brilliantly bright beside Isabelle's long hair.

"Welcome?! We were practically dragged here," Michael scoffed as Isabelle stood in the center of the room, facing him. She blinked, confused.

"Dragged? Abrielle told me you were invited. Politely," she looked reproachfully at the now fidgety Abrielle, who looked away.

"Since when do you trust Abrielle's word so fully? You know she's mentally ill," he snarled and glared at his twin, who frowned slightly.

"She's the only one who's bothered to tell me anything these long years, Michael. Even if she's not safe," the ancient stared at Abrielle, who only smiled complacently.

"Isabelle, why did you 'invite' us here, then?" Elizabeth put a hand comfortingly on Michael's as she calmly interrupter. Her lack of using a title caused Abrielle to glare for a moment.

"Abrielle, Michael," they looked at her, "leave us for a moment. You too, Dante."

"But, Maestra," Abrielle giggled nervously. A quick glare from Isabelle silenced her protest instantly. They marched out, shutting the door behind them.

"So the Reaper finally wants to see me," the woman sighed and sat in another chair, suddenly seeming much older.

"How does everyone seem to know what we're doing?!" Miranda exclaimed, frustrated. Isabelle smiled warmly in response.

"Oh, I've known for a long time that he'd want to see me before the Blood Moon," she sighed sadly, "he just waited longer than I'd thought he would."

"Why does the Reaper want to see you? You're not particularly wiser than the other ancients, nor do you posses any Gifts that anyone knows of," Victoria asked, her curiosity uncontainable.

"Hmm, I thought he'd tell you," Isabelle murmured to herself.

"Tell us what?" Elizabeth was curious as well.

"The Reaper, as he goes by now, is my husband."

A shocked silence engulfed them as Isabelle watched their shocked faces with a grim smile. She waited until it seemed like they'd never say anything unless she said something first.

"Am I that un-marriageable? I thought myself pretty until now," she joked, leaning back lightly.

"How can this be?" Elizabeth said, her face blank.

"Well I would think it was obvious. We fell in love and got married a long time ago. He's not trying to see me because of any abilities I can offer him," Isabelle answered, looking out the picturesque window.

"Aren't vampires only supposed to be with other vampires or humans? He isn't of this world," Victoria argued.

"What nonsense. Alice isn't married according to your thinking then either," Isabelle scoffed, picking up a thrown book and rifling through it.

"Ian's not a vampire?" Elizabeth stared suspiciously. How else was he immortal?

"Of course he is."

"Elaine? What did you say about your vision? Something about Alice being different?" Miranda shakily asked Elaine, but Isabelle answered for her.

"Alice is not a third generation, like everyone's been told. Even Abrielle and the other psychic, Aidan, don't know of her real origins," Isabelle lifted her eyes suggestively.

"You and the Reaper…?" Elizabeth gasped.

"A daughter," she nodded.

"Does Alice know?" Elaine said, wavering slightly.

"No, and I intend to keep it that way. Abrielle and I have come to an agreement," Isabelle flicked her hair back leisurely and added, "come time for our Blood Moon."

"An agreement like that must not mean she's going to live," Elizabeth said in a low voice.

"Mmmm," Elizabeth hummed and said, "So what are you going to do about this 'end of the world' dilemma? I doubt you're going to just let yourselves fade out."

"You're going to dismiss killing your own flesh and blood just like that? She's your daughter," Victoria said with a hiss.

"Don't pretend to know how the world is with immortals. You're only a stubborn product of Michael's infatuation with love," the ancient hissed, finally annoyed with their questions.

"Excuse me?!" Elizabeth stood up, her eyes flashing gold.

"You thought he actually loved you? My dear, he loves the idea of love, that's all. He's been that way since the day I met him. He never told you why he decided to become a blood-sucker?" Isabelle laughed at Elizabeth's red face, her features a mask of fury.

"A little aggressive, are we?" Elaine smiled, despite her eyes darkening with anger herself.

"He wanted to discover love, so I let him go think that he had, but you know what? He outgrew it. You did, too, that's why you hate him now. He pounded on your ego," Isabelle continued, absolute glee in her face.

"You know nothing about them!" Miranda snarled, fists clenching. She hated the man as much as anyone else, but she didn't like her maestra being treated so.

"Don't I?" she turned her head towards the light-brown haired girl and sniffed, "what about you? You think yourself so strong to stand up to an ancient?"

"What?"

"You're only as strong as any other 4th generation. Morgan let you win. I let you think yourself strong. I let all my descendents think they're in control, when in fact, I am," Isabelle laughed loudly, standing as well.

"What about my knowledge? You had no hand in that," Victoria spat towards her.

"Ah, but I did help you start that path," she chuckled, "what was it, about 200 years ago now?" Victoria froze.

"What's she talking about?" Miranda asked through clenched teeth.

"I don't even remember that pathetic boy's name, now that I think about it? Such a shame, too. He was handsome."

"Shut up!" Victoria pressed her hands to her ears, speaking through clenched teeth and closed eyes.

"Oh, so you still haven't gotten over that yet? And I thought you were the smart one," Isabelle was smiling much like Abrielle now, maliciously cruel.

"Please stop, Isabelle," Victoria whimpered.

"Isabelle, leave her alone!" Elizabeth stepped between the ancient and her own turned to glare.

"So the shunned lover speaks," Isabelle shrieked, still smiling.

"How dare you insult the people you 'invited' here? What is your purpose?!" Elizabeth argued.

"To make sure my way of life continues undisturbed!" Isabelle screamed. Loud arguing was heard as Michael stormed in, one arm being held by a scared Abrielle. Dante stepped after them, worried.

"Leave them alone, Isabelle!" Michael shouted as he yanked Abrielle off of him.

"I suppose you want me to not kill them, also?" Isabelle sighed, sitting back down.

"Kill them? Why would you do that?" Abrielle asked, "even though I'm not against it, I mean."

"You thought I'd let them live, after telling them so much?"

"Maestra, why would you tell them so much in the first place then?" Abrielle said.

"No more questions! Out! All of you! Abrielle, take them to the guest rooms, I need to think for a while," Isabelle rubbed her temples and turned away from them, looking out the window.

"Yes, maestra." They followed Abrielle quickly, in a hurry to get away from her insane maestra. Michael never left Elizabeth's side, even though they'd been led to separate rooms to sleep in.

"Michael, I'm fine, for the last time. You don't need to baby-sit me," Elizabeth scoffed as she closed the drapes, preparing for the sun.

"No. Isabelle's clearly gone mad, and I don't intend to leave you alone, this close to her," he stated, sitting in a nearby chair for emphasis.

"I won't be able to sleep anyways. I'll be fine," she said, and edge entering her voice.

"Why are you angry with me," he asked, staring at her from where he was seated.

"I'm not, but I don't like that you think I'm so incapable of taking care of myself," she snapped, crossing to the bed and sitting on the edge.

"Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"What else would it be? I'm perfectly able to defend myself for one day, Michael."

"I'll worry no matter what you do, because I'm scared of what Isabelle can do to you," he stood up and walked over to her, "I told you once I still care for you."

"I don't want to talk anymore," Elizabeth's voice softened.

"What did Isabelle tell you to make you so defensive against me?" Michael sat next to her on the bed.

"Nothing I didn't already know," her voice shook slightly, "now please drop it."

"I won't. What did she say?" he grabbed her hand gently.

"Leave it."

"No."

"You don't really care about what I feel anyways, so just drop it!" she jerked her hand away and walked away from him.

"Elizabeth, you don't really believe that, do you?" he followed her and stood in front of her.

"I…I don't know anymore," she closed her eyes, but she opened them again when he lifted her chin to face him.

"I've always loved you. Why do you think I even considered turning you?" he said with a smile, which vanished when she made a face like he'd hit her.

"Isabelle…she told me that you only love the idea of love," she said finally, after a long moment, "and you were so different those last years, that I don't know what else fits."

"I was in a bad place those years. The last thing I wanted was to push you away, but I didn't know how else to respond to it," he admitted, letting her go.

"Respond to what? What happened? You owe me that," she said.

"It began so subtly, I thought there was something wrong with me when I finally realized it," he said, shaking his head.

"Realized what? Quit avoiding it!"

"I…I killed my own descendants. It began with some man one night, and I didn't even know who he was. After I found out, I just killed more people. After a while, I realized that I was slowly eliminating my own line, and I wasn't even killing them of my own free will. Instead of making me stop, it made it worse. I hunted down every last person who had any trace of my blood in them, and not only killed them, I slaughtered them," tears began running down his face.

"I got scared of what you'd do if you found out. I already thought myself a monster, but I would've rather stood out in the sun than let you think so of me. I got so angry when I'd see you refuse to even harm thieves and murders, because I was mad at myself for not being controlled so easily. I couldn't even give it up like you until you left."

"You had descendants?" Elizabeth said after another long moment.

"Before I chose this life, I had a wife," he said, looking up finally, "It was arranged. I didn't even like the woman. As was expected then, we had many children. I thought they'd died off after I left. Women couldn't negotiate marriages, even without a husband to do so for her because of death. Unable to marry, I figured there wasn't much of a chance for descendants."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've understood. You know I was close to being in the same situation," she said, hesitantly putting a hand on the side of his face, wiping away the already-drying tears.

"I didn't think you'd forgive me. I hated that woman. Isabelle used that hate to somehow control me, and channel it for her own purposes. I'm not strong enough to resist killing like you," he leaned into her hand, closing his eyes.

"Michael, killing's part of our nature. Even if Isabelle was behind it, you would've killed anyways. Maybe not as much, maybe not as often, but you would've. Humans aren't just food, but they're not us, either. We can't treat them like family. They can't really understand us," she said, her voice softer now.

"Here I am, crying like a baby, while you console me. How did it come to be like that?" he chuckled through a stray tear, opening his eyes again.

"Because I'm the proud one, remember? I don't cry easily. And you're the passionate one," she smiled.

"Elizabeth, do you still care for me, too?" Michael asked quietly. Elizabeth let go of his face, sighed, and turned away.

-End Chapter-


	16. Elizabeth's Confession

The Coven

Chapter 16: Elizabeth's Confession

"It's not that easy to answer," Elizabeth said quietly.

"It's very easy. Yes or no," Michael said and turned her around to face him.

"Michael, you can't expect me to say something that might hurt me beyond repair," she said.

"How can telling me the truth hurt you?" he asked, pulling her close.

"I was open with you about my feelings a long time ago. And it's caused me so much pain now," she tried to pull away from him, but his hold was like iron.

"I never meant to," he whispered in her hair.

"But you did. I wanted to hate you, and I thought I did for a long time," she closed her eyes tightly, holding back tears.

"Thought? Didn't you?"

"No," she choked out, still fighting the tears that were beginning to leak.

"Then what?" There was a long moment of silence, and Elizabeth finally answered, with a small protesting voice at the back of her head.

"…I think it's still love…," she said, almost inaudibly, afraid of what she'd just admitted.

"Why are you so afraid of it?" he asked with a smile, "you know my secret now, and I can promise I'll tell you everything from now on. I won't be who I was."

"You can't promise you won't do that to me again. Isabelle can call out that monster in you any time she wants. I won't let myself be vulnerable to that again," Elizabeth tried again to push away, but again to no avail.

"The Blood Moon is close, and she fears it. Ancients aren't supposed to survive it, but she's trying. She's eliminating her own line, to improve her odds of survival. She's even making us kill our own human descendents to weaken us," Michael said, squeezing her tighter, "We have to escape here. Away from her and Abrielle."

"You mean run away? She'll find us before another night, Michael."

"Not if we disable her senses," she could tell a plan was forming in his head.

"How?"

"Quick, get the others. I need to find Abrielle," he let go of her, striding to the door, her following close behind.

"Aren't we trying to get away from her?" she grabbed his hand.

"I'll explain when I get back," he said, and added, "We'll meet in here. It's big and relatively safe for now."

"Fine, but hurry back," she said quietly, moving to go past him into the hall. Before she could get too far, he grabbed her suddenly and pulled her into a kiss. Before she could react, he let her go and rushed down the hall. Elizabeth quickly recovered and ran to wake the others, touching her mouth quickly before she did.

"Miranda, wake up," Dante was shaking her as Elizabeth woke Elaine and Victoria. She woke swinging her arm at him, eyes half-closed.

"What now?!" she grumbled as she fell out of bed when he kept shaking her.

"Elizabeth wants us to meet her in her room. I think we're getting out of here finally," he said quietly and left, leaving her to scramble up and follow clumsily.

"Elaine, what's going on?" Miranda asked as she practically bowled over the shorter girl in the hallway.

"We're getting out of here, didn't you listen to Dante?" she said quietly as she rubbed her own eyes.

"I dunno…I feel kind of light-headed…," Miranda mumbled, shaking her head, "must still be half-asleep. Can't get five minutes of rest before we're doing something anymore."

"It's better than just sitting around like we used to," Elaine suggested as they entered Elizabeth's enormous room, the others waiting for them.

"Michael's the last to get here then," Elizabeth said, sitting on her bed while the rest of them got comfortable on the floor.

"So, how're we getting out of here without Her Craziness and her pet noticing?" Victoria yawned.

"I don't know, but Michael left to do something before coming to tell us his plan," she said, leaning back to look at the ceiling.

"Elizabeth, do you know what the Blood Moon is?" Victoria asked, bored already.

"Only that it's extremely rare. And that it's deadly to us for some reason."

"Well we can withstand eclipses, why not this?" she answered.

"A Blood Moon's different. It doesn't have a scientific explanation, like eclipses, so we don't know what's so dangerous about it in the first place."

"Michael's back," Elaine said an instant before he stepped through the door, carrying an unconscious Abrielle.

"You should've dragged her. Carrying seems a bit affectionate," Victoria scoffed as he set her down on the floor.

"I couldn't. There would've been marks on the floors from her if I'd dragged her here," he answered.

"Why'd you bring her anyways?" Dante asked, sitting up.

"I have an idea that includes her."

"Does it include maiming her?" Victoria asked, hopeful.

"Victoria, quiet yourself," Elizabeth stated, sitting up also.

"What is this plan?" Elaine smirked at Victoria, who coughed and looked away.

"Isabelle's going to get a little distracted tonight. And during her confusion, we'll escape," he said with a grim smile, nudging his sister awake. She groaned and slowly sat up, clutching the back of her head.

"What was that for, brother? Isabelle will hear of this," she grumbled as she looked around her.

"Not if you wish to keep your immortality," he threatened, glancing at Elizabeth with a wink. She realized with a slight smirk that he was bluffing.

"You don't know the mechanics of immortality, same as the rest of us. You don't know how to take it away," Abrielle spat.

"Oh, but I do. You know Elaine's psychic, yes? Well she's discovered the meaning of those paintings in the entrance. We all know how we become eternal, and why we can spread it," he said slowly, watching her reaction. She whipped her head to look at Elaine, who stared back with her odd eyes.

"Michael, you always were a bad liar," she said, but less vehement than before.

"Which is why I don't bother anymore. It's the truth, Abrielle. I can end this right now if I wanted to," he said, crossing his arms.

"Then why don't you? Why don't you eliminate Isabelle also? She's your enemy, why haven't you ended her yet?" Abrielle said, smirking.

"I'm no fool, sister. Ancients can only be killed through the Blood Moon. That's how it's always been," he snapped back.

"Elaine can't know that much. It's sacred information!" she hissed, standing up.

"There's little I can't access," Elaine said, sniffing haughtily.

"Lies!" Abrielle shouted.

"Dante, fetch her portrait. We'll show her the hard way," Elizabeth said, motioning towards the door.

"No!" she screamed running and shutting the door before he could move.

"Found your weakness, did we?" Victoria snorted, amused.

"Abrielle, you know that we're bound by our deals, so we'll offer you one: help us and keep your ways until the Blood Moon, or don't and die as a human eventually, old and weak," Elizabeth said, examining her nails.

"I'll die either way, so I think I choose to keep my name intact!" the panicked blonde twin of Michael backed up against the door.

"If you help us, I promise to keep you as safe as possible until the Blood Moon. As much as Isabelle fancies that she'll survive it, she won't. She isn't supposed to," Michael glared at her.

"But she will! Maestra has a plan! She'll live!" Abrielle was hyperventilating. She obviously was obsessed with her own immortality, but was torn at by her forced loyalty to the insane Isabelle.

"Only the Reaper's chosen survive!" he shouted back.

"Besides, you don't honestly think that Isabelle will keep you around? She fears competition too much," Victoria said, angry as well, "the old books have many blood-soaked stories about your maestra because she couldn't handle others being near as strong as she."

"More lies! Lady Isabelle will show me mercy! I've been nothing but loyal to her, even now!"

"She never shows mercy! Your loyalty means nothing to her!" Victoria spat.

"Enough! Both of you!" Elizabeth commanded over them, causing instant silence, even from Abrielle.

"Sister, you will help me. I'm all you have left now," Michael said quietly, staring intently at her, trying to illuminate his point.

"I have Ian and Morgan still," she replied, but her eyes flashed with uncertainty.

"Morgan won't live long, I promise you. I don't take kindly to trickery," Elizabeth glared.

"Ian won't live long anyways, even without our intervention. He's craven and gullible," Michael added.

"You have no one," Elizabeth repeated.

"Michael's your only family now," Victoria added.

"Isabelle doesn't deserve your loyalty anymore," Elaine said after them, quietly.

"Stop this at once!" Abrielle screamed feebly, covering her ears.

"Listen to us!" Michael yanked her hands off her ears, "you brag about being smart, yet you don't listen to others. You only think your opinion is the only one that matters!"

"I won't die a traitor, even for you, Michael!"

"Isabelle lost the right to your loyalty a long time ago. He's the one you're betraying by not aiding us," Elaine pointed out.

"Your words are poison!"

"Your maestra's the toxic one, I assure you!" Dante stood up from his place on the floor, joining the argument at last.

"How can you say anything? Until I sent you to join these traitors, you were just as loyal to her as I!" Abrielle spun around to face him.

"If you knew they were traitors, then why did you send me to them!" he argued.

"So you'd die with them like Ian asked!" as soon as the words had left her mouth, she clamped her hands over it in shock.

"Why would Ian want his death?" Victoria asked after a moment of shocked silence.

"Why wouldn't he? His blood's dangerous to us," she hissed, deciding that the truth couldn't be avoided now.

"Human blood is hardly dangerous," she replied with a huff.

"Not the human part," Abrielle said quietly.

"Alice's blood," Elizabeth said, looking at Elaine, who nodded, "He has a new type of blood."

"Three species," Victoria said with an awed look on her face.

"Alice has only half vampire, half Reaper in her. When Nathan joined with a human, he completed the circle," Elaine supplied.

"The Reaper?" Michael said with an uncertain face.

"Isabelle and the Reaper have a daughter," Victoria said quickly.

"What?"

"Isabelle told us," she said, irritated.

"My maestra told you filthy brats something she wouldn't share with me?" Abrielle's stricken expression interrupted their conversation.

"Call us filthy brats again, and we'll sick Miranda on you," Victoria snarled.

"Enough, I said! Let us continue this plan!" Elizabeth ordered.

"Sister, I need you to inform Isabelle of our escape," Michael stared at her.

"Escape?! You're still here, aren't you?" Abrielle giggled nervously.

"Tell her we've gone to the Reaper," he continued.

"Won't she know you've roped me into your little plan? She's smart," The girl glanced suspiciously at the others.

"You were always the better liar, remember? I trust you'll find a way," he smiled coldly, sending shivers up his sister's spine.

"What will happen to me while you're off running from our maestra?"

"You will stay here no matter what. Even if Isabelle tells you to leave here, you stay put somehow. Don't leave the grounds."

"She'll destroy me."

"She'll be too busy to bother with you," he said, glancing at the others as well.

"So I lie for you, sending her on her way towards the Reaper, and you somehow keep me safe in the meantime," she stated.

"Exactly."

"Do we have an accord?" Elizabeth asked, offering her hand. After a moment's hesitation, she accepted, gripping her thin palm briefly.

"You're lucky I fear the very thought of being human again," was her last words as she walked stiffly out of the room.

-End Chapter-


	17. Humanities

The Coven

Chapter 17: Humanities

"Do we wait for Isabelle to leave in pursuit of us, or do we leave now?" Elizabeth asked as another moment passed by.

"We leave now, but further south this time. We need to find another ancient," he said, peeking into the hallway.

"Why?" Victoria asked as she picked at her clothes.

"They need to know about Isabelle's plans. They're the only ones who can beat her into submission if need be," he explained, closing the door with a quiet snap, locking it, and walking over to the window.

"What about us? The Blood Moon's nearing!" Victoria said.

"We'll figure that out on the way, now quickly. We need to get to the town before Isabelle leaves. It's still sunset, so it'll burn, but we'll reach the forest and be relatively safe." He jumped out the window, landing silently on the ground below them. Immediately, he ran for the nearest line of trees, with the others following close behind.

"Michael, we need to think about hunting soon. We haven't in a while, and we've taken quite a bit of sunlight here," Elizabeth said quietly as they continued to run towards the small town where they'd met Alice.

"I know. I feel it also. We're slowing," he said, wincing as he felt his arms burn under a brief patch of sun in a clearing.

"Maestra!" they heard Elaine cry as Miranda suddenly fell unconscious, making the others stop and turn around. Elaine turned her over and noticed that her eyes were still open.

"Miranda!" Elizabeth knelt down and felt her forehead, but pulled it back quickly, "She burns like silver."

"What's wrong with her?" Victoria gasped as she saw the slight burn mark on Elizabeth's palm.

"We need to get her somewhere dark. Take her to the town and find her a place. I need to find blood," and she ran off, with Michael nodding at them as he left to join her.

"I can't carry her, I'm too short for it," Elaine shuddered as Miranda breathed slowly.

"I'll take her. You two go ahead and find somewhere dark," Dante hefted the red-eyed girl onto his back. Elaine sped off with Victoria, after giving a worried glance backwards.

"What's happened to you," the half-breed muttered as he began running in the direction the girls had left. Miranda responded by closing her eyes with a shallow hiss.

He ran for a while before running into Elaine, who was fidgeting and panicky. With a quick nod, she led him into a dark cavern, where he promptly set her down and began walling up the entrance. Before long, he saw Elizabeth running towards them with a dead pair of rabbits in her hands, followed by Michael carrying a fox.

"Is she still burning?" Elizabeth asked, striding into the room with the dead animals.

"Yes," Elaine called, pacing by a still-unconscious Miranda.

"What could cause these symptoms?" Michael asked as Elizabeth sliced a rabbit's throat and began feeding the drops into Miranda's mouth, having Dante open it.

"I don't know. I haven't read anything about this," Victoria sat down and covered her knees with her arms.

"She's not drinking," Elaine's voice shook as the blood just drained out of her mouth.

"Wait, she's not burning anymore," Dante said and Elizabeth placed her palm on her turned's forehead. Sure enough, it didn't burn to the touch, and Miranda's eyes twitched.

Suddenly, she sat up, spitting the blood out of her mouth. The others quickly moved back, giving her room to breath. After a moment, she looked up at them, and they all gasped in shock. Her eyes were a regular hazel, and her fangs were gone.

"What?" Miranda felt her face as they stared, and when she noticed the lack of her fangs, she shrieked.

"Maestra, you're human!" Elaine screamed as well, covering her eyes.

"I can't be! That's not possible!" she screamed, standing up and looking around.

"How can a vampire become human?" Dante turned towards Victoria, who was shaking her head in disbelief.

"I-I don't know! It's never happened!" she said, backing up even farther.

"Can't say that now, can you?!" Elaine snarled, pointing at Miranda, who was still feeling her mouth with shock, "Miranda's human!"

"The portraits!" Michael said suddenly, making them whip around to face him.

"The what?" Victoria said.

"Abrielle says they capture our mortality. What if Miranda's was let back out?" he said, unsure of what he was saying.

"And how the hell would that happen?!" Miranda snapped, bringing her hands into fists and placing them at her sides.

"I don't know! It's just a theory!" he snapped back.

"It makes sense," Elaine said, thinking to herself for a moment before adding, "but the process is the mystery here. How do you change the portrait back?"

"Maybe it's destroyed, that's how," Victoria interrupted.

"What about biting me again? Why wouldn't that work?" Miranda shuddered, feeling the cold and damp of the cave for the first time in years.

"We don't know what that would do to you if the portrait wasn't destroyed," Elizabeth answered, putting her coat around Miranda.

"One of us should check then," Elaine stated. They all looked at each other.

"I'll do it. I can sneak in there and back easier than you," Michael finally offered.

"What about Isabelle?" Victoria glanced at Miranda with a shudder of her own. She looked weak as she shivered.

"She's gone by now."

"Then hurry back. There's a whole night of running we have to make up tonight," Elizabeth nodded and he rushed outside. After a moment, Miranda chuckled nervously.

"What's wrong with you?!" Victoria said, glaring at her, "you're nothing but a human now! It's not a laughing matter!"

"I know. I just realized that I'm not unlike Dante now. Ironic, since I picked on him for being a half-breed for so long," Miranda smirked again.

"We need to turn you into a vampire again," Elizabeth smiled, "you think to much when you're human."

"Shut up," she replied, sinking to the floor.

"Maestra, maybe you should lay down. Becoming human probably wasn't the easiest thing on your body," Elaine advised.

"I'm not your maestra anymore. Being human negates it," Miranda added, "and I'm fine. I just want to be me again."

"You turned me, so you're my maestra. Doesn't matter what you are now," she answered.

An hour passed by, and the others had fallen into a restless sleep for lack of it the day before. Dante poked Miranda's shoulder gently as she too began to nod off.

"What?" She asked grumpily.

"Come with me," he said and walked outside.

"You gonna kill me now? I'm weak enough to not be able to do shit about it," she sighed as she followed reluctantly.

"I won't kill you ever, stupid," he chuckled.

"Then what am I doing out here?"

"If you have to be turned again, I have a suggestion to make," he said, "but it'll piss off your family I bet."

"No doubt, if you're the one suggesting it," was her reply.

"I want you to see the sunrise tomorrow," he stated, watching her.

"Pft, that's it?" she snorted, "you're right, that will piss them off. No."

"Why not?"

"We have a lot of time to make up for this. I won't waste it with selfish desires to see the stupid sun before I become a vampire again," she answered.

"So you do want to see it?"

"I can't."

"That's not an answer."

"I won't."

"Your family would have to let you."

"Why would they have to do that?" she looked away.

"Because they love you," he said, "and they'd want you to be happy, even if it meant delaying this trip by a day."

"You don't know what they'd want for me."

"I've watched them and you," and she turned her head back towards him as he added, "they would let you see a sunset before turning you again."

"I can't ask it of them. I won't be that selfish," she sighed and huddled deeper in her coat.

"It's just one sunset. Don't you remember those?"

"One sunset enjoyed by me means a whole night wasted by my family."

"We won't get far tonight anyways."

"Still."

"Quit making excuses and just think on it," he stated and walked back inside, leaving her alone.

"Stupid Dante. Jerk doesn't know what a family means," she muttered and stood outside for a while before coming back inside away from the wind and settling down by Elaine.

"It's in pieces," Michael was saying as Miranda woke up from her sleep to find everyone talking around her.

"Then I suppose it's safe to try," Elizabeth murmured, noticing that Miranda was awake; "I believe it's time to get you out of this state again."

"Um, I kind of have a favor to ask," she answered meekly, almost embarrassed that she was even asking this.

"Anything."

"Can I…uh," she gulped and blurted, "I want to see the sunrise before I'm turned."

"Well of course. It's too late to run very far tonight anyways. Just be ready to run fast tomorrow night," Elizabeth smiled and left to sit down at the back of the cave.

"I didn't realize you were so sentimental," Victoria joked.

"Shut up, you're just jealous she gets to see a sunrise, and you'll never be able to," Elaine remarked, smiling.

"I wouldn't want to anyways. Got my fill of them when I was human," was her huffy reply and she stomped off to another part of the cave to pout.

"You have to enjoy it as much as possible so I can enjoy it too through your mind later," Elaine smiled, "I'm just glad you're okay. I was beginning to panic."

"So was I. I don't want to be human again," Miranda noticed Dante smirking at her and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Honestly, maestra, you can be so childish sometimes," Elaine sighed and sat next to her.

"When's the sunrise?" she asked.

"In a little while. Michael was gone for most of the night, looking for your portrait. He found it piece by piece all over the place," Elaine said.

"Why was it so spread out?"

"I don't know. All I know is that Isabelle did it to slow us down so she could catch up to us before we reached the Reaper."

"Isabelle's more crazy than Abrielle," Miranda huffed, "and she's gonna get what comes to her before this is all over."

"I should hope so," Elaine chuckled and yawned wide.

"You should go to sleep. You're tired," Miranda said, standing up.

"Alright. Behave yourself," she yawned again and settled into a sleeping position.

Miranda walked outside in her borrowed coat, watching the stars as she had a long time ago. She heard Dante cough behind her and she jumped. Usually, she wasn't so easy to sneak up on.

"You can't and won't be so selfish, huh?" he laughed.

"Shut up. I thought about it, and I do wanna see another sunset again," she kept looking at the stars.

"Guess I'm not as stupid as you thought I was," he chuckled and stood beside her, "besides, I didn't do it for charity. I get something out of it too."

"Why am I not surprised?" she sighed.

"I get to watch one with someone for once. And I know you'll appreciate it more than a normal human because you know what going without it's like," he said and she turned to look at him.

"You're strange," she said finally and turned towards the horizon, watching the sky lighten.

As the sun finally rose, she flinched, but shook it off as she felt the sun only warm her skin, not scald it like she was used to. The light was blinding for a moment as the sun finally rose in a splash of colors. She laughed in delight as she watched the light on her skin.

"Talk about strange," Dante laughed beside her, watching her stare in fascination at her arm.

"Don't spoil the moment, I'm enjoying the sunrise like you wanted me to," she chuckled, closing her eyes and sighing.

"It's nice, isn't it?" he said after a while.

"Better than I remember," she smiled.

"Guess I'm not as stupid as you thought I was," he laughed and leaned his head back into the sun.

"I guess not," she sighed and felt her face, flooded with the warmth she hadn't felt in centuries.

"Sunsets are even prettier, but I guess you'll be bored of humanity by then," he said, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Probably," she said, then added in a softer tone, "thank you. I needed this after all."

"I figured you did. Most vampires miss this, but won't admit it. Victoria, on the other hand, tells me she does every chance she gets," he chuckled, earning a light shove from Miranda, "what?"

"You make her sound like an annoying clingy girlfriend," she scolded.

"Well she's kind of acting like it now," he said, scuffing his foot on the ground.

"You're the one who instigated it."

"I did no such thing."

"You kissed her. Of course she's going to be clingy. She's never been one to just let things be casual, as much as she says she is."

"That would've been more useful to know earlier," he scoffed.

"That's then, this is now," was her retort. He clicked his tongue and crossed his arms, "what, you're going to say I'm childish, right?"

"No," he said, "you're not childish. You just let everything get to you, then drop it like it wasn't really worth the effort. You change your mind a lot."

"Can we stop talking now, and just enjoy what's left of the sunrise?" she said, raising her arms like wings. Dante fell silent for a moment, watching her.

Suddenly, he kissed her and her eyes flew open in shock. After and instant, there was a resounding "crack" as she slapped him. He felt his cheek where it was already reddening, and she stood frozen with her mouth open. He opened his mouth to say something, and her fist connected with his face. Because she was human, her punch only knocked him down, not broke anything, and she screamed.  
"Stay away from me, half-breed!" and ran into the forest, leaving him sitting there quietly. Slowly, he got up and walked inside.

"Boy, you'll be lucky if she ever speaks to you again instead of screaming," Elaine said as he walked in. He sat down away from the others and sighed, "in my opinion, I think you're lucky she's not herself right now."

"I would've done it sooner or later. You probably already knew that, though," he sighed again, "I'll never hear the end of this from Victoria."

"Victoria'll get over it. She always does," Elaine smiled, "and yes, I did know you'd do something like this."

"Why didn't you say anything to her, then? Aren't you like sisters?"

"I didn't want to spoil the surprise. Plus, it was worth keeping it secret to see her face," she chuckled, "she can be as easy to read as a book sometimes."

"Not to me," he grumbled, rubbing his cheek, "damn, she's got an arm on her."

"I guess I should go calm her down," Elaine stood up, "shall I tell her you're sorry?"

"No, because it's a lie. I'm not," he said. She nodded watched him get up and go the back of the cave, finding the darkest corner to think in. As soon as he'd settled himself, Elaine began concentrating on finding her maestra. Soon enough, she encountered Miranda's infuriated mind and began speaking to her silently.

"Maestra? What're you doing?" she thought innocently.

"Trying not to break my hand by punching anything that's near!" was a snarled reply. Miranda was in a grove of brightly lit trees, pacing angrily.

"You can't say you didn't have a clue."

"I can! He's got Victoria! What'd he have to go and do that for?! When I'm a vampire again, he's as good as the wolves I eat!"

"You can't kill him," Elaine sighed.

"Why not?! I've got a right to strike back for that!"

"You already did. Twice."

"Not enough!"

"Maestra, you know that you're not as insulted as you think you are."

"What else am I, then?!"

"Embarrassed. You're not usually caught in a position where you'd even let him get that close." Miranda fell silent for a moment.

"I guess I am. Being human sucks. My senses are all muddled."

"Your senses have nothing to do with it. You let your guard down for someone other than Victoria, Elizabeth, and me."

"Shows how stupid I am for it, too."

"Maestra, just come back. I've already scolded him for it. He's made himself scarce," Elaine coerced, sensing Miranda give in slightly.

"There's still a whole day to deal with it, though."

"We can sleep. You need it anyways. You're still hurt from your wounds of yesterday."

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that."

"So you're on your way back?" there was silence. "Miranda?"

"Fine, but keep him out of my way."

Elaine laughed and broke the contact, returning to her own self and glancing toward Dante, who stared with a curious look.

"She's on her way back, so you'd better find the farthest space away from me," She advised.

"Is she going to beat the crap out of me when she's strong again?"

"No. She's not going to be pleasant for a while, though. Elizabeth probably won't be happy either. You'd do well to behave and be quiet until it settles."

"I'm surprised you're not mad at me as well. You're not a big fan of surprises like that."

"I'm psychic, remember? I saw this coming a long time ago."

"Ah. Well good day then," he snuck back further, settling down to sleep as well. After a few more minutes, Miranda came stomping in, obviously angry again. She sat heavily next to Elaine, crossing her arms with a huff.

"Maestra, you act like he tried to kill you," Elaine sighed.

"That would've been kinder. Stupid jerk stole my first kiss," Miranda wiped her mouth roughly and spat on the floor.

"I know. It was bound to happen sooner or later, though."

"I just began to not hate him so much, too. Asshole's never going to be on my good side again," Miranda flopped back and closed her eyes, "let's just sleep. I want to forget this while I sleep."

"You're human, remember? You can dream now," Elaine lay down also.

"Shit, you're right. Then I hope this doesn't haunt me today," Miranda sighed.

"Good day, maestra," Elaine said lazily as she fell asleep easily. Miranda lay there for a while until she finally drifted off.

"Miranda, wake up. It's time," she woke up to Elizabeth's voice calling her. With a groan, she cracked open her eyes at her.

"Maestra, you're going to be a vampire again," as soon as Elaine had said it, Miranda shot up, wide- eyed.

"That got you up fast enough," Victoria chuckled, and Miranda turned towards her. Noticing Dante standing a little ways away from her, she glared and quickly got up.

"Elizabeth, you should just get this over with. We need to leave," Michael said.

"Miranda, come here," Elizabeth said and motioned for the spot in front of her, "the rest of you: shoo! A turning's a private matter!"

"But Elizabeth!" Elaine whined.

"No buts! Out!" they left reluctantly, Dante sparing a glance backwards only to be met with a solid hiss. He walked quickly outside to the others.

"What was that for?" Elizabeth asked as Miranda glared at the boy's back.

"Dante violated me today," she snapped, still glaring at the entrance to the cave.

"He what?!"

"He kissed me," Miranda mumbled, blushing in embarrassment.

"That's all? Oh thank goodness," Elizabeth sighed in relief and smiled.

"'all'? He kissed me! The man's lucky I didn't beat him bloody!" Miranda said, surprised at Elizabeth's reaction.

"Oh, Miranda, you can over-react sometimes. Yes, what he did was rude, but it's not like it hurt," Elizabeth chuckled.

"You know what? Let's just change the subject," Miranda huffed.

"Fine, fine. Where shall I bite this time?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't know…my hand again?" Miranda shrugged.

"Alright. I didn't know if you were sensitive to pain still. You remember your worry the first time? I didn't want you to panic again."

"Panic? Me? Never. Besides, why would it matter this time around?"

"Well I haven't bitten a human in centuries, you realize. I don't know what'll hurt you or not," Elizabeth warned as she picked up Miranda's hand in her own.

"Just get it over with," Miranda clamped her eyes shut and turned her head away.

"As you wish," and she sunk her teeth into the soft flesh of her palm.

-End Chapter-


	18. Fake Grudges

The Coven

Chapter 18: Fake Grudges

"What's wrong with her?" Dante asked, worried by the sounds of pain coming from inside the cave. Elizabeth looked at him for a moment before realizing that he hadn't ever seen a turning before.

"Her human body is dying. Otherwise, she can't exist in it for long before it begins to rot. Something in our bite stops the decaying of the body while letting the spirit remain inside it forever," she explained. Dante winced at another scream of agony.

"It's still not pleasant to listen to," Elaine winced as well.

"Miranda's stronger than most. Usually, a human whose turning is almost complete will cry for help or death to save them. Even during her first time, she didn't do so," Elizabeth looked back into the cave behind her, glancing at the writhing girl inside.

"That's because she was ready to die, wasn't it?" Victoria said as she tried to peek inside. Elizabeth blocked her view with her body.

"Maybe," she answered.

"How long does this go on? It's excruciating," Dante grimaced again as Miranda let out another scream. This time, though, it sounded more angry than pained.

"Not too much longer. Maybe a few more minutes," Michael answered as he noticed the worried expression on his face. He glanced over Elizabeth and Miranda and back at Dante. With a quiet chuckle, he shook his head.

"I don't even remember my turning. I only remember that one day I was human, and that very night, I was a vampire," Elaine sighed.

"We feel death so it can never touch us again. Or so we thought," Elizabeth said, glancing back again. Miranda was growing quieter now.

"The fact that anyone can just end our immortality so easily as to destroy a painting is frightening. Especially when Isabelle, their former guardian, now doesn't like us," Victoria shuddered.

"Shit, that hurt!" Miranda shouted, and they all rushed in to see her clutching her head and swearing. Her eyes were blood red again, and her fangs prominent and deadly. They exhaled a breath of relief.

"Welcome back, maestra!" Elaine tackled Miranda to the ground with a hug, smiling.

"Not so hard, Elaine! I'm still hurting here," she groaned and pushed her off.

"Oh thank goodness that's over with. Now we can get back to business," Victoria grinned and tried to grab Dante's arm. He gently pushed her off, and she sighed.

"Miranda, are you feeling well enough to run?" Elizabeth helped her stand up, Elaine close by.

"I think so. Let's just leave this behind us as fast as we can," she answered, brushing her hair back from her face.

"Then let's go," Michael said, and when Elizabeth nodded, they all began their run, falling into order quickly.

Dante stayed behind with Victoria, keeping a wary distance from Miranda, who kicked up rocks and sticks whenever she could. Victoria slowed down a little so she and he could talk without being heard.

"Why is Miranda mad at you?" she asked calmly.

"I might've insulted her this morning while she was human," he answered.

"How so?"

"How should I know what angers her anymore? Everything I do seems to," he faked exasperation, watching Victoria relax with relief.

"I was just wondering," she said, smiling.

"Well don't. What I do doesn't concern you," he said, irritated at her pleasure.

"Excuse me? Why are you so prickly this morning?" Victoria scoffed, flicking her hair back.

"Nothing. I just didn't get a lot of sleep," he lied, glaring in front of him.

"Ah, that'll do in even the best of us," she sighed, and she let him speed up so she was behind them all now, thinking to herself.

"Michael, were we ever so innocent," Elizabeth sighed as she glanced backwards at a sulky Miranda and quiet Dante. With a quick brush of his hand, Michael made her turn her head towards him as he smiled warmly.

"Once upon a time," he said and she smiled meekly as they kept running.

"Where are we even going?!" Elaine said, exasperated at her maestra's sour mood.

"To Paris. Jacob always loved the arts I'm told, and he's the only one we have a clue at locating fast enough. It'll take us about a week from here," Michael answered, searching ahead for some sort of path into the town he knew to be here. If they reached the town, they could steal another car and let their strength gather.

"A week?! That leaves barely a month before the Blood Moon!" Victoria protested weakly from the back.

"Enough time for us," Elizabeth assured, briefly grasping Michael's hand before letting go quickly.

They remained in silence until they practically fell into the smallest town they'd ever seen, with barely enough buildings to consist a village in the Old World. With the silent grace gifted them by their vampirism, they managed to once again hijack a van and began driving in silence. Miranda sat as far forward in her seat as she could, while Dante sighed behind her. Victoria sat near him, while Elaine was content to watch Dante and Miranda with a sneaky smile hidden from Victoria, who watched out the window. Michael and Elizabeth were talking in the front.

"Will Jacob listen to us? He doesn't generally like vampires, if I can recall," she whispered, trying not to notice the tense and awkward feeling coming from the back seats.

"No, but he detests Isabelle and Abrielle more," he said, glancing at her as she glanced quickly behind them and sighed softly, "why're you so concerned about them?"

"You probably already have figured out what Dante did this morning?"

He nodded.

"Well Miranda tends to hold quite a grudge if she wants to, and right now, she really wants to. I just wonder if it'll stay this uncomfortable all the way until the Blood Moon," she said, looking at him as he listened intently. The group had begun to talk warily behind them.

"Miranda, you can be so sensitive at times," Victoria smirked and tried to grab Dante's hand, and he jerked away and crossed his arms. She huffed and finally said, "What's up with you? You're avoiding me like a plague!"

"No I'm not," he protested, "I'm just not leading you on."

"You're avoiding me and pushing me away like you don't like me anymore!" she said, almost shouting. Michael and Elizabeth stayed focused on the road with intensity.

"I didn't like you like that in the first place!" he snapped back, finally looking at her. Miranda only glared ahead of her into the back of Michael's seat.

"Then why did you let me sleep next to you, and kiss you a while ago?!" she protested angrily, clenching her fists.

"I don't know!" he scoffed, looking away again, "it's hard to say no to a beautiful woman as she throws herself at you."

"I did not throw myself at you!" she gasped.

"Um, yeah, you kind of did," Elaine interrupted meekly.

"Excuse me?!"

"Oh deal with it," Elaine sniffed, adding, "You've always been like that, even when you were human."

"Miranda, I know you'll at least take any side against him! Help me out!" Victoria whined, appealing to the sulking red-eyed girl and she turned slowly around to glare at her.

"I won't tell lies for your self-protested honesty. Dante's an asshole," she spared a dark glare at him, "but you can't say you didn't act like a tramp around him."

"Elizabeth!" she cried, looking at her maestra, who shook her head once without turning around. She wasn't going to get into it.

"Victoria, you're a good person, but you get carried away with yourself around men. Just accept that and control it next time," Elaine consoled, offering her hand in a friendly gesture. Victoria only murmured something, and Elaine leaned closer to hear her. They began a soft conversation as Dante looked at Miranda, who glared back at him.

"Are you going to talk to me ever again?" he asked, and she only glared. He added softly, "even if all you do is yell at me, I'd like to hear you again."

"I can't say I didn't see this coming, Sunshine, but you can be so blunt sometimes," she finally growled, glancing at Victoria and Elaine, who were still talking. Victoria already seemed to be feeling better.

"Was that so hard," he smiled. Miranda glared for another moment and sighed.

"Yes," she fake-whined, causing him to smile even wider.

"You didn't stay mad at me for very long," at a quick glare, he added quickly, "I'm only saying I'm grateful you aren't anymore."

"I don't like being surprised," she finally said after a moment.

"What if I warned you next time?" he asked innocently.

"You'll get the same result, only I'll aim lower," she threatened as Elaine and Victoria finalized their conversation amongst themselves.

"Well I forgive you I suppose," Victoria said, and added, "on one condition."

"Why do I have the feeling that I won't like this?" he muttered, earning a small smile from Miranda. He smiled wider.

"I get one more kiss," Victoria smiled.

"Are you serious?" he asked, noticing that Elaine was giggling a little ways behind her. Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Completely." Dante glanced at Miranda, who shrugged and turned away. Elaine followed suite, leaving the two of them in relative privacy as Michael and Elizabeth smiled in relief up front.

"I dunno…" he spared a quick glance in front of him at Miranda's back. She was humming softly to herself, blocking out her keen hearing.

"Oh just agree," Victoria scoffed. After a moment, he nodded, and she leaned forward. As their lips almost touched, she veered off to speak softly in his ear instead.

"Miranda's a lucky girl," she laughed softly as she pulled away, watching his shocked expression, "I'm not stupid, Dante. Just a flirt."

"Uh-," he was at a loss for words as Victoria settled in her seat and resumed watching out the window at the passing scenery. Elaine glanced back and him and winked. Miranda was still humming to herself.

"Is your coven always this dramatic?" Michael was saying as Elizabeth sighed in relief as the group behind her continued to talk normally.

"No, thank heavens. You and Dante started it," she joked.

"Well I can't speak for him, but I personally am glad I barged back into your life," he said, watching her as she smiled.

"You never really left, though, did you?" she smirked as he cleared his throat.

"I-uh," he muttered, "I wasn't checking up on you or anything, I just wanted to see you." Elizabeth laughed as she leaned in close to his ear.

"I trust you," she said softly, and they both understood the meaning of those words as she said them. He turned towards her as she leaned back into her seat, looking at him.

"You do?" he asked, and as she nodded, he smiled even wider and added, "thank you."

"You'd better not prove me wrong," she said jokingly as they resumed watching forward. They evening passed normally and the night wore on. Not long before sunrise, they spotted another town, only this one seemed abandoned. They quickly found a place to hide for the day and settled in for yet another night of hiding in the dark.

-End Chapter-


	19. Sorry

Sorry

Sorry

The Coven became a bit muddled story-wise, so I've decided to discontinue it. If you liked this story, you should read the updated version I'm currently working on: _Blood Moon_. It has basically the same characters, but a different plot, with better twists and easier to understand info. Please Enjoy!!

Again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience.


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